World Digestive Health Day 2025: 5 daily habits that can boost your gut health
As they say, a healthy gut leads to a healthy and happy life.
Although gut health is often overlooked in the sea of other aspects of a health regime – it is of supreme importance. After all, who would want a wretched feeling in their stomach while building their muscles or toning their abs!
World Digestive Health Day (WDHD) is observed annually to raise awareness about digestive health and its impact on overall well-being.
Marked on May 29, the theme for WDHD 2025 is "Your Digestive Health: Nourish to Flourish," emphasizing the importance of nourishing our digestive system to promote optimal health.
What is gut health?
Gut health refers to the overall well-being of the digestive system, encompassing its function in breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste. It's also deeply intertwined with the complex ecosystem of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, collectively known as the gut microbiome.
These microorganisms play a crucial role in various aspects of health, including digestion, nutrient absorption, immunity, and even mental health.
Gut health is crucial for overall well-being because it plays a vital role in digestion, nutrient absorption, immune function, and mental health. A healthy gut supports the body's ability to break down food, absorb nutrients, and defend against infections. It also influences mood, stress, and cognitive function through the gut-brain axis.
Improving gut health:
A healthy gut is essential for digestion, immunity, mental clarity, and overall vitality. Incorporating some simple habits in your daily routine can lead to significant improvements in gut health, contributing to better digestion, enhanced immunity, and overall well-being.
Here are five effective practices to consider:
Prioritize a
fiber-rich diet
Dietary fiber is crucial in maintaining gut health by supporting digestion and promoting regular bowel movements.
Including a variety of fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and seeds in your daily meals can help achieve the recommended intake of 25–30 grams of fiber per day.
Additionally, incorporating prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, bananas, and asparagus can nourish beneficial gut bacteria, further enhancing digestive health.
Stay hydrated
Proper hydration is essential for digestion and nutrient absorption.
Drinking adequate water throughout the day helps soften stool, prevent constipation, and maintain the mucosal lining of the intestines. Aim to consume at least 2–3 liters of water daily, adjusting based on activity levels and climate.
Engage in regular physical activity
Regular exercise stimulates the muscles in the digestive tract, promoting efficient movement of food and waste. Activities such as walking, yoga, cycling, or swimming can enhance gut motility, reduce inflammation, and support a diverse gut microbiome.
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
Practice
mindful eating
Mindful eating involves paying full attention to the experience of eating, including the taste, texture, and aroma of food. This practice can improve digestion by promoting thorough chewing, reducing overeating, and enhancing the body's ability to process nutrients. To practice mindful eating, aim to eat slowly, chew each bite thoroughly, and avoid distractions such as screens during meals.
Ensure sufficient sleep
Adequate sleep is vital for overall health, including digestive function. A consistent sleep schedule supports the body's circadian rhythm, which influences the gut microbiome. Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night to allow the body to repair and regenerate, including the digestive system.
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Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
World Digestive Health Day 2025: 5 daily habits that can boost your gut health
As they say, a healthy gut leads to a healthy and happy life. Although gut health is often overlooked in the sea of other aspects of a health regime – it is of supreme importance. After all, who would want a wretched feeling in their stomach while building their muscles or toning their abs! World Digestive Health Day (WDHD) is observed annually to raise awareness about digestive health and its impact on overall well-being. Marked on May 29, the theme for WDHD 2025 is "Your Digestive Health: Nourish to Flourish," emphasizing the importance of nourishing our digestive system to promote optimal health. What is gut health? Gut health refers to the overall well-being of the digestive system, encompassing its function in breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste. It's also deeply intertwined with the complex ecosystem of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, collectively known as the gut microbiome. These microorganisms play a crucial role in various aspects of health, including digestion, nutrient absorption, immunity, and even mental health. Gut health is crucial for overall well-being because it plays a vital role in digestion, nutrient absorption, immune function, and mental health. A healthy gut supports the body's ability to break down food, absorb nutrients, and defend against infections. It also influences mood, stress, and cognitive function through the gut-brain axis. Improving gut health: A healthy gut is essential for digestion, immunity, mental clarity, and overall vitality. Incorporating some simple habits in your daily routine can lead to significant improvements in gut health, contributing to better digestion, enhanced immunity, and overall well-being. Here are five effective practices to consider: Prioritize a fiber-rich diet Dietary fiber is crucial in maintaining gut health by supporting digestion and promoting regular bowel movements. Including a variety of fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and seeds in your daily meals can help achieve the recommended intake of 25–30 grams of fiber per day. Additionally, incorporating prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, bananas, and asparagus can nourish beneficial gut bacteria, further enhancing digestive health. Stay hydrated Proper hydration is essential for digestion and nutrient absorption. Drinking adequate water throughout the day helps soften stool, prevent constipation, and maintain the mucosal lining of the intestines. Aim to consume at least 2–3 liters of water daily, adjusting based on activity levels and climate. Engage in regular physical activity Regular exercise stimulates the muscles in the digestive tract, promoting efficient movement of food and waste. Activities such as walking, yoga, cycling, or swimming can enhance gut motility, reduce inflammation, and support a diverse gut microbiome. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week. Practice mindful eating Mindful eating involves paying full attention to the experience of eating, including the taste, texture, and aroma of food. This practice can improve digestion by promoting thorough chewing, reducing overeating, and enhancing the body's ability to process nutrients. To practice mindful eating, aim to eat slowly, chew each bite thoroughly, and avoid distractions such as screens during meals. Ensure sufficient sleep Adequate sleep is vital for overall health, including digestive function. A consistent sleep schedule supports the body's circadian rhythm, which influences the gut microbiome. Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night to allow the body to repair and regenerate, including the digestive system. Digestion Issues? Try These Easy Yoga Poses To Boost Your Gut One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Time of India
4 days ago
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70% of Indians don't meet daily fiber needs; women at greater risk: Survey
New Delhi: On World Digestive Health Day , a new survey has revealed that 70 per cent of Indians fall short of their recommended daily fibre intake, putting their digestive health at risk. The fibre gap is even more pronounced among women, with 74 per cent reporting inadequate intake, compared to 64 per cent of men. The findings—based on responses from over 8 lakh people, including 1.27 lakh via the fiber meter and 7.4 lakh through the digestive quotient test—highlight serious dietary and lifestyle gaps threatening the nation's gut health. 'These numbers should raise an alarm,' said Dr B. S. Ramakrishna, Director & Senior Consultant – Medical Gastroenterology, SRM Institutes for Medical Science, Chennai. 'The gut is central to our overall health, and fibre from whole grains and multigrain sources is critical for maintaining a diverse and healthy gut microbiome. On this World Digestive Health Day, with the theme Nourish to Flourish, we must promote fibre-rich diets as part of preventive health strategies.' Anuj Rustagi, Chief Operating Officer – Staples and Adjacencies, ITC Foods, said, 'Fibre is a foundational pillar of digestive health, yet most Indian diets don't reflect that. This fibre gap is alarming. We need simple but impactful dietary changes—like adding multigrains, fruits, vegetables, and staying hydrated—to reverse this trend.' Echoing the sentiment, Anita Jatana, Chief Dietician at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi, emphasized that poor dietary habits are a primary cause of rising digestive health problems. 'A fibre-rich diet not only aids digestion but also supplies essential micronutrients. Swapping refined grains with multigrains like whole wheat, oats, and millets, along with good hydration, physical activity, and rest, can dramatically improve digestive wellbeing.' The findings—based on responses from over eight lakh people on the Aashirvaad Happy Tummy platform, including 1.27 lakh via the fiber meter and 7.4 lakh through the digestive quotient test—highlight serious dietary and lifestyle gaps threatening the nation's gut health. The data analysed was collected between 2021 and early 2025 from respondents across India. As digestive disorders and non-communicable diseases continue to rise, experts agree: fibre is no longer optional—it's essential.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
World digestive health day: 4 signs your gut is unhappy
We tend to hear the likes of "trust the gut" or "listen to your gut," commonly as a piece of advice to trust our instincts. But these phrases are truer than we previously imagined. Science today reveals that the gut is so much more than an eating machine—it's a sophisticated, intelligent system that is critical to our overall health, from governing immunity and nutrient uptake to our mood and mental state. As we celebrate World Digestive Health Day on May 29, it's the perfect time to tune into this usually ignored aspect of our body. Digestive problems such as bloating , gas, constipation, or diarrhoea If one is regularly experiencing bloating and gas, or swinging between constipation and diarrhoea, these could be signs of an unhealthy gut. When the digestive system isn't running smoothly, it could mean one's gut is having trouble processing food or that the body's gut bacteria are out of balance. Food intolerances and digestive discomfort Experiencing bloating, gas, or illness after consuming foods such as dairy or gluten may be an indication of a food intolerance. Digestive issues tend to be caused by an imbalance in the gut microbiome, which makes it more difficult for the body to digest some foods. Bad gut health may also contribute to leaky gut, when the lining of the gut becomes too permeable, letting in substances that the body doesn't need. Identifying such gut health symptoms in advance can avert larger problems in the future. Insatiable sugar cravings One's stomach may be partially to fault if they have constant cravings for sweets. Sugar-rich diets can upset the equilibrium of the gut flora by feeding dangerous microorganisms. A difficult-to-break cycle can result from those same harmful germs causing increased cravings when that balance changes. If ignored, it can result in inflammation and other digestive issues. It is also a typical indicator of poor gut health. Rapid weight gain or loss If one's weight is fluctuating without any significant changes in eating habits or daily activities, it might be because of an unhealthy gut. When the gut doesn't function properly, one's body has difficulty absorbing nutrients which leads to unexplained weight gain and loss. This condition is known as leaky gut where the walls of the intestine become thick and porous. In today's fast-paced society, the majority of us consciously work to maintain our fitness levels and eat healthily. But in the thick of our everyday routines, we often overlook gut health, one of the most crucial aspects of overall health. The digestive system has a significant impact on your psychological and bodily functions. It is essential to identify an unhealthy gut and seek medical help when required. A nutritious diet, adequate hydration, and a few other careful lifestyle choices can help one achieve and maintain their gastrointestinal health. Dr. Varun Teja, MD, DM, Consultant Medical Gastroenterologist, Apollo Hospitals, Visakhapatnam One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
