A nutrition expert has given some top tips on how to keep your gut happy and healthy. Dr Richard Allison says we should eat food that's full of fibre every day, avoid big meals for three hours before bedtime, drink plenty of water, chew our food 15-20 times and try a new fruit or veg each week. A survey found that 35 per cent of adults don't know what the gut is or what it does, and 18 per cent don't even know where it is in the body. Even though 70 per cent of our body's immune cells live in the gut, only five per cent of Brits knew this. Adults are more likely to know about
Netflix , phone apps,
Football rules, or their favourite team than they are about this part of their body. Even though 45 per cent think that gut health is important, almost three-quarters (72 per cent) don't take any supplements to help keep it healthy. But the research, done by global health company Herbalife, found that 60 per cent have trusted their gut to help them make big decisions. These include whether to buy a house, start a relationship, accept a
Job or even whether to stay married, or get divorced, reports the Daily Star . Dr Richard Allison, nutritionist for Herbalife, stated: "As the research shows, Brits "trust their gut" for a lot of decisions big and small. But surprisingly, they know very little about one of the most important organs in our bodies. The gut not only helps digest food to support a healthy digestive system, but its function aids our bodies physically, and also has a significant impact on our day-to-day mental health." Our gut, which usually refers to all the parts inside that help us eat and digest food, like our stomach, intestines, and colon is really important for keeping our body working properly. But 95 per cent of people don't know how much serotonin, which is really important for our mood, our gut makes and funnily enough, it's about 95 per cent. Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) correctly said that the tummy is what gives all other parts of the body the things they need to stay alive although 15 per cent wrongly think the heart does this. A study done by OnePoll found that lots of people don't understand probiotics these are tiny living things like bacteria and yeasts that are really good for your tummy. Some people even think that probiotics are naturally found in pasta (5%), ice cream (4%), coffee (4%), fried chicken (4%), and even cake (3%). Dr Richard Allison, who works for Herbalife, the company that makes Microbiotic Max, a food supplement containing probiotics, added: "Our busy lifestyles mean that we're prone to skipping meals and eating on-the-go." A member of the Sport and Exercise Nutritionist Register (SENR) thinks that supplements made with a mix of live bacteria and fibre are "an easy way to nourish your gut effortlessly". He also said this combo "helps fight off the less friendly bacteria, and boosts immunity against infections". TOP 10 THINGS BRITS KNOW MORE ABOUT THAN GUT HEALTH: Mobile phone apps Netflix Their football team The offside rule The
Royal Family Air fryers TikTok The Traitors EastEnders storylines
Taylor Swift DR RICHARD ALLISON'S TOP FIVE TIPS TO KEEP YOUR GUT HEALTHY: Introduce a new type of fruit or vegetable every week Chew your food, a minimum of 15-20 times Avoid large meals within three hours of going to bed Have fibre-rich food everyday Stay hydrated, drinking plenty of water throughout the day