BANG’s Guide to Gut Health
As we know, wellbeing and beauty starts from within. To feel your best, it’s imperative that you take care of your gut. Your body contains lots of bacteria, around 100 trillion to be exact (Healthline.com). However, they have gained a poor reputation and our brains automatically point to ‘bad bacteria’ and their negative impacts.
The truth is our bodies contain a majority of ‘good bacteria’ which prove key in ensuring our survival and fighting off illnesses. 70 to 90% of our immune system resides in our guts, so if our guts are not healthy, we are more prone to illnesses.
Knowing the importance of good ‘microbes’ and gut health, BANG! Curry has utilised ingredients to maximise the health benefits that you receive when consuming our kits. So, let’s go step by step through our kits and run through the benefits that you can achieve!
Step 1: Onions, Garlic and Ginger
Onions, garlic and ginger elevate the flavours of BANG! Curry Kits to a whole new dimension. However, flavour isn’t the only benefit that they bring.
Onions and Garlic
It goes without surprise that vegetables offer an array of health benefits and are imperative in your diet. However, contrary to popular belief, onions and garlic specifically are rich sources of ‘inulin’ (a functional fibre) and prebiotics – both of which are key for optimal gut health (Healthline).
Prebiotics and probiotics support the building and maintaining of a healthy colony of bacteria and other microorganisms (Medical News Today). ‘Prebiotics’ are a type of fibre that cannot be digested by the human body, and form as food for probiotics.
Therefore, they help the digestive system function better and support the gut by ‘feeding’ the healthy bacteria living in your guts (WebMd). More impressively, a 2018 research review carried out by King’s College London suggests that prebiotic fibre has a more significant impact on the community of microorganisms than some fruits, vegetables and whole grains (Time, King’s College London).
Ginger
Ginger also proves beneficial when wanting to improve and maintain your gut health. It has a long-standing reputation as a ‘carminative,’ an agent which helps to relieve and/or prevent indigestion, reduce nausea, and other related stomach discomfort by speeding up the ‘emptying’ process of the stomach (Healthline, MedicineNet). Resultantly, it helps to relieve bloating, flatulence, intestinal colic, IBS and poor digestion.
Step 2 – Spices
Spices form the foundation of our curry Kits and have made BANG! Curry what it is today. However, they don’t just pack a punch in terms of flavour, but also gut health.
Dietician Jennifer Shim highlights how spices and herbs contain ‘superfood’ qualities, which will encourage healthy digestion and also power your gut to ensure health. The number of beneficial spices and herbs that our kits contain will undoubtedly aid you in your journey to become gut healthy! Here are a handful of the benefits of spices contained in our kits:
Cassia
Cassia, a part of the cinnamon ‘family,’ contains powerful antioxidants, such as polyphenols, and is said to have the highest antioxidant activity of 26 spices, helping to combat oxidation within our bodies and reduce the chances of gaining chronic illnesses (PubMed Central, Roots of Health Santa Cruz).
More so, a recent gut health study from the RMIT University School of Engineering found that even a small amount of cinnamon helps to drop the amount of carbon dioxide levels in the stomach, aiding with digestion and lowering body temperatures. In addition to this, cinnamon has also been shown to protect the walls of the stomach and small intestines, protecting the integrity of the gut (The Telegraph).
Turmeric
Turmeric, known as the ‘golden spice,’ is a common ingredient used in Indian, Chinese and Western medicines for poor digestion and abdominal pain. It has been recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in treatments for acid reflux and flatulence (GI Society).
It contains the active ingredient ‘curcumin’ which acts primarily through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The antioxidant property is thought to be so strong that it improves liver function and stops it from being damaged by toxins. Additionally, it is impactful with gut inflammation and gut permeability, improving gut efficiency (Medical News Today).
Cumin
Modern research highlights cumin as a key herb in promoting digestion by helping to improve and quicken digestion through increasing the speed of digestive enzymes, and increasing the release of bile in the guts (Healthline, Food Revolution).
A 2013 study also found that cumin is an effective and inexpensive option to support digestive health and significantly dilute symptoms for IBS (Food Revolution, Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases).
Fennel
Fennel contains a high amount of fibre, with one tablespoon of fennel containing 2 grams. Adding higher levels of fibre helps to keep the digestive system flowing and relieve constipation and other digestive problems such as flatulence.
Additionally, fennel is anti-inflammatory and helps to reduce inflammation of the intestines and relax the muscles, relieving gas from constipation and acid reflux.
Step 3 – Make it your own
The beauty of our kits is that you can make them your own – whether you want your meal to be richer, greener or higher in protein, the world is your oyster. Not only can these additions enhance the flavour of your dish and make them unique to you, but they also provide more opportunities to take care of your gut. For example:
Yoghurt
Yoghurt is not just a great ingredient to make your meal creamier, or provide some (albeit sometimes needed) relief to a spicy dish, it is also a probiotic. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast that strengthen the digestive tract and are particularly effective in restoring the natural balance of bacteria in your gut when it has been affected by an illness or treatment (NHS).
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a fantastic ingredient to add to your dish. It is a great way to get your vegetables in, reduce your carbohydrate intake by making ‘cauliflower rice’ or even as a meat substitute. Additionally, it is full of fibre and naturally high in B-vitamins and water. Therefore, it is effective in preventing constipation and maintaining a healthy digestive tract. It is also thought to regulate the immune system and inflammation due to its high fibre count (Medical News Today).
Chickpeas
Chickpeas help with digestion due to their high soluble fibre. Not only does this increase the number of healthy bacteria, but these healthy bacteria also break this fibre down slowly so our colon can digest it slowly, leading to a more regulated bowel movement (WebMD, Healthline).
So, it is extremely important for your health to take care of your gut. As the saying goes, you are what you eat, and for optimal gut health, you need to ensure that the right foods are entering your body. At BANG! Curry, our natural, healthy and delicious ingredients are a great way to ensure that you are eating to enjoy but also to live.