10 Ways To Naturally Increase Good Bacteria In Your Gut, According To Experts

Diet diversity, or the variety of foods you eat, plays a huge role in the number of good bacteria in your gut. One of the best things you can do for your gut is get out of your dietary comfort zone and eat a wider variety of foods, from all different food groups.

When thinking about diet diversity, you also want to consider the amount of plant foods you're eating. Plants contain fibers (including prebiotic fibers), phytochemicals, and an array of macro- and micronutrients. All of these support a healthy balance in your gut by feeding good bacteria, starving out bad bacteria, and delivering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits to the gut and beyond1.

Cruciferous vegetables2 like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, specifically, have unique compounds called glucosinolates that are metabolized by bacteria and promote the growth and balance of good bacteria in your gut.

Fermented foods are made with the help of bacteria and yeasts. The bacteria and yeast break the food down, creating more good bacteria, boosting the bioavailability of nutrients3, and reducing anti-nutrients, or compounds that can interfere with adequate absorption of vitamins and minerals.

"These probiotic-rich foods help crowd out unfavorable bacteria or yeast," says board-certified internist Vincent M. Pedre, M.D., and including them in your diet can help support gut balance. Just 2 tablespoons of sauerkraut contain 1 million colony-forming units (or CFUs) of good bacteria, and not only that: A study published in PLOS One4 found that fermented foods like sauerkraut are resistant to lower pH, like stomach acid, so they are able to successfully make the journey from your mouth, through your stomach, and into your small intestine where they colonize and grow.

In addition to eating fermented foods, supplementing with a science-backed probiotic can also elevate your gut microbiome.* Probiotic supplements contain live bacteria that get deposited in your small intestine where they can colonize and grow, boosting your overall number of good bacteria and a host of GI functions.*

There are a lot of probiotic supplements out there, but you need to find one that actually works. Pedre recommends selecting a probiotic that has multiple strains and 5 to 100 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) per dose. To be clear, more isn't more necessarily. The dose of each strain should be informed by clinical science.

It doesn't matter if the probiotic is refrigerated or not (unless the product specifies that it requires refrigeration), but the probiotic you choose should have undergone quality testing to make sure the claims match what's actually in the bottle.

When you bump up your plant intake, you'll naturally increase the amount of fiber you're eating, but make it a point to include plenty of high-fiber foods, like beans, chia seeds, flaxseeds, lentils, berries, and psyllium, into your day. 

Fiber, especially prebiotic fiber, feeds your gut bacteria, and when it's metabolized, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are produced in the process. According to gastroenterologist and gut health expert Will Bulsiewicz, M.D., MSCI, SCFAs balance your gut (increase good bacteria while pushing out bad), support your immune system, lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, and improve brain function. "They are the currency of gut health," he says. "And we get them exclusively from prebiotic fiber."

Polyphenols are naturally occurring plant compounds that are loaded with antioxidants and have huge implications for your gut health. Research1 shows that polyphenols, like those that come from fruits, vegetables, tea, dark chocolate and wine (don't overdo it on these two in the name of gut health, though) increase the amount of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus bacteria in your gut. These specific bacteria lay down their "roots" in your gut and have a number of other health benefits from better digestion to more radiant skin.*

Sleep may seem like a passive activity, but it's really a restorative period that has huge implications for your gut health. Research shows that a lack of sleep contributes to stress, which can lead to an imbalance of good and bad bacteria. On the flip side, getting enough sleep (around seven to nine hours for adults6) can help you manage the physical effects of stress, promoting healthy gut balance.

A healthy gut is also associated with better sleep quality7. In other words, the more you do to increase the good bacteria in your gut, the better you may sleep.

Managing stress is one of the most important things you can do for your gut health (and your health, in general). In its acute stages, stress can cause digestive upset (bubble guts, anyone?), queasiness, and worse, but over time it can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria, decreasing the good and giving the bad an opportunity to thrive.

Exercise is a no-brainer. You get physical benefits, like more strength and better flexibility—plus emotional benefits, like a boost in mood, better sleep, and greater self-esteem, thanks to the endorphins it produces. 

But exercise also supports the number of good bacteria in your gut and contributes to bacterial diversity (or the number of strains).