Quick Picks - When Gut-Healthy Foods Aren’t Healthy for Your Gut
We often hear about “gut-healthy foods”, fermented foods, fibre, and prebiotics, as if they’re universally good for everyone. But the truth is, what’s good for a strong, balanced gut can actually be harmful for a gut that’s struggling.
It’s a bit like exercise: running and lifting weights are fantastic for a healthy, well-conditioned body, but if you’re injured, those same activities can make things worse. In that situation, you need rest, rehabilitation, and a gradual rebuild before returning to your usual routine.
Your gut is no different.
What Gut-Healthy Foods Do
Fermented foods, high-fibre vegetables, and prebiotics all play an important role in:
Feeding beneficial bacteria
Supporting short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production
Strengthening the gut barrier
Supporting detoxification and immune balance
These are fantastic for maintaining good gut health, once balance has been restored.
When the Gut Is “Injured”
If the gut lining is inflamed, microbial balance disrupted, or motility impaired, those same foods can become irritants.
Conditions like:
SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)
Reflux or gastritis
Histamine intolerance
Candida or fungal overgrowth
Severe bloating or IBS flares
…all indicate a gut that’s not ready for aggressive “probiotic” or “gut-feeding” foods.
Not because the body is broken, but because its current capacity is lower.
The Problem With Popular “Gut Foods”
Fermented foods (sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha)
Great for supporting microbial diversity. Can be problematic when there’s bacterial or fungal overgrowth, or for those sensitive to histamine, as they may trigger flares.
Prebiotic foods (onions, garlic, asparagus, bananas)
Help nourish beneficial gut bacteria. May worsen bloating and gas in cases of SIBO, IBS, or broader dysbiosis.
High-fibre foods (beans, lentils, cruciferous vegetables)
Support detoxification and regular bowel movements. Can overwhelm a sluggish or inflamed gut, increasing pain, bloating, or distension.
Apple cider vinegar & lemon water
May stimulate digestion for some. Can irritate reflux, gastritis, or an already sensitive stomach lining.
Bone broth
Traditionally used to soothe the gut lining. May be too rich in glutamate or histamine for sensitive individuals.
Rest, Repair, Rebuild
Before reintroducing these foods, the gut often needs:
Calm – reduce inflammation and overgrowth
Support – rebuild the gut lining and digestive function
Rebalance – gently restore microbial diversity
Reintroduce – add fibre and fermented foods gradually once tolerance improves
This is the equivalent of physiotherapy before returning to the gym: gentle, structured, and responsive to your body’s current capacity.
Stabilising first, before optimising.
What to Focus on During “Gut Rehab”
Cooked vegetables over raw salads (soothing, easier to digest)
Simple meals – one protein, one veg, one fat
Anti-inflammatory herbs and spices (ginger, turmeric, oregano)
Adequate rest and stress regulation – gut healing happens more easily when the system is under less strain
Professional guidance – to know when and how to reintroduce foods safely
Final Thoughts: Healing from the Inside Out
“Gut-healthy” doesn’t mean “healthy for everyone, all the time.” Just like an injured body needs rest before returning to exercise, a stressed or inflamed gut needs gentleness before it can handle the foods that feed a healthy microbiome.
But true healing goes deeper than what we eat. The nervous system and the gut are inseparable – and when we’re constantly under pressure or in a state of vigilance, digestion simply can’t do its job.
This is where practices like Compassionate Inquiry can be helpful. When we soften toward our experience, listen to what the body is signalling, and reduce internal pressure, we shift from forcing change to supporting recovery.
Often, what your gut needs most isn’t another probiotic or supplement – it’s the conditions to settle and repair.
The body knows how to heal.
Our job is to create the conditions for that healing to happen.