Your gut does much more than digest food. Home to trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes, the
gut microbiome influences everything from digestion and nutrient absorption to immune function, inflammation levels, and even mental health.
And while many factors affect the microbiome, how you eat plays one of the biggest roles in shaping it.
Fruits
boost gut health for a handful of reasons: They’re
full of fiber, polyphenols, vitamins and antioxidants, which support immune function, calm intestinal inflammation, and feed beneficial gut bacteria.
And the fiber in fruits supports digestion, keeping bowel movements regular.
Adults should aim for at least two servings — or about 2 cups — of fruits per day as part of a 2,000-calorie daily diet.
But not all fruits offer the same digestive benefits. Here’s a closer look at some of the best fruits for gut health and how to include them in your meal planning.
Kiwi may be one of the best fruits for
constipation and overall digestive comfort. The fuzzy green fruit contains soluble and insoluble fiber, along with actinidin, a digestive enzyme that helps break down proteins, says
Elena Ivanina, DO, a New York City–based gastroenterologist and the founder of the Center for Integrative Gut Health.
“Probably the most common dietary recommendation I make to my patients is to eat two green kiwifruits daily, which has been shown to increase bowel movements … in constipated people — with significant improvements in [gastrointestinal] discomfort and fewer adverse events than psyllium [ fiber],” she says. (Psyllium fiber, which comes from the seeds of the herb
Plantago ovata, is the fiber found in constipation treatment products like Metamucil.)
You can eat the fruit as is, but you can “double up” the gut health benefits by adding chopped kiwi to yogurt, says Amanda Sauceda, RD, a registered dietitian in Long Beach, California, focused on gut health. “By choosing a yogurt with live and active cultures you can get the benefits of probiotics along with the pooping benefits of kiwi,” she says.
Apples are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that acts as a prebiotic, or food for beneficial bacteria in the gut.
“[Apple] is such a powerhouse prebiotic fruit,” Dr. Ivanina says. She says that gut bacteria ferment pectin into short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, acetate, and propionate, which help nourish colon lining cells, maintain the gut barrier, and have
anti-inflammatory effects.
Pectin is also used to make jams and jellies, helping these foods gel, Sauceda says. “That gelling property also helps your gut because it attracts water as it moves through the digestive system and that helps you poop easier,” Sauceda says.
For sensitive stomachs, Sauceda recommends baked or stewed apples, which will be easier to digest than raw apples while still providing gut health benefits. “Basically, it’s an easy and quick way to cook the apples to bring out their natural sweetness. You can then use [them] as a snack all on [their] own or as a topping for pancakes, yogurt or even ice cream,” she says.
Bananas are well known for being gentle on digestion, but less-ripe
bananas may offer additional gut benefits thanks to resistant starch, a prebiotic fiber.
Research shows that green bananas are an excellent source of both
resistant starch and other types of fiber, which protect against chronic disease and boost gut health. Green bananas also contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, including polyphenols (plant compounds), vitamin B6, potassium, and iron, which can protect against inflammation, hypertension, and chronic illness.
Sauceda says green bananas can help slow digestion and keep people feeling fuller longer because resistant starch acts as a fiber in the digestive tract.
For people who dislike the taste of green bananas, she suggests experimenting with green banana flour in baking instead.
As bananas ripen, their resistant starch content decreases while natural sugars increase. “Less ripe bananas have stronger prebiotic effects, while ripe bananas are gentler on the stomach and easier to digest,” Ivanina says.
Berries deliver what Ivanina calls a dual benefit — they contain both fiber and a high concentration of polyphenols that work together to support the microbiome.
“Studies show they increase beneficial populations of
Bifidobacterium,
Lactobacillus, and
Akkermansia muciniphila, all associated with improved gut barrier integrity and reduced inflammation,” she says.
Berries are also one of the easiest ways to increase fiber intake. Sauceda notes that fiber content will vary by type: Strawberries provide about 3 grams (g) per cup, blueberries about 4 g, and raspberries roughly 8 g.
Sauceda says
cranberries deserve special attention when it comes to gut health. “The compounds in cranberries that help urinary health can also benefit your gut,” she says. She points to emerging research that suggests cranberry compounds may help increase production of short-chain fatty acids that support digestive health.
You can add berries to smoothies, yogurt parfaits, or homemade chia pudding — or eat a handful as a single serving snack, Sauceda says.
Research suggests
papaya is great for improving digestion, and that it can alleviate bloating and constipation. These benefits are tied to its high concentrations of papain, an enzyme that helps to break down protein in food.
A small papaya also contains about 3 g of fiber, while providing more than the recommended daily intake of
vitamin C, an antioxidant that fights inflammation.
“You get the digestive enzyme benefits plus the fiber,” Sauceda says.
Fresh, ripe papaya is typically easiest to digest. Ivanina recommends squeezing lime juice on the fruit and eating it that way, while Sauceda prefers adding papaya to fruit salad.
Pears are among the highest-fiber fruits and also naturally contain sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that can help soften stool by drawing water into the colon.
“Pears are among the highest natural sources of sorbitol,” Ivanina says. “This is the same mechanism used by [laxative] medications like lactulose.” That said, she warns that too much sorbitol can also increase gas production in some people because gut bacteria ferment it.
Sauceda calls pears an “underrated
fiber food,” and says that one medium Bartlett pear contains about 6 g of fiber, which can help those with constipation.
Aside from eating fresh pears, she also recommends canned pears packed in juice, baked pears topped with brie, or sliced pears in salads as simple ways to incorporate them into meals.
Try eating pears with the skin on whenever possible to maximize fiber intake, Ivanina says.
Rachel Green
Rachel Davis
Derek Schulz
Sophia Martinez
Dr. Amara Okafor