A lot of advice about gut health focuses on what you should do—but what about the everyday habits that are quietly harming your digestion and microbiome?
From alcohol and artificial sweeteners to neglecting fiber and fermented foods, here are nine habits to leave behind for better gut health.
1. Skipping Breakfast
Skipping breakfast regularly can be detrimental to gut health for a few reasons. First, your gut—like the rest of your body—follows a circadian rhythm, and eating at consistent times helps keep digestion and microbial activity in sync.
Second, going long stretches without food may shift the balance of gut bacteria, especially if your diet is already low in fiber-rich or prebiotic foods.
Finally, missing breakfast can make digestion sluggish for some people, leading to bloating, irregularity, and constipation.
Practical Tip: If you’re not used to eating breakfast, start small—try a piece of fruit, yogurt, or a handful of nuts for a week or two to train your digestive system to expect food in the morning.
2. Not Sleeping Enough
The gut microbiome significantly impacts sleep patterns—and vice versa. Consistently missing out on enough rest can throw your gut health off balance.
Studies show that sleep deprivation reduces microbial diversity, while people with more diverse gut bacteria tend to enjoy better sleep quality and longer sleep duration.
Practical Tip: To support both your gut and your overall health, aim for the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep each night. If you struggle to fall or stay asleep, try setting a consistent bedtime (to reinforce your circadian rhythm), winding down with a relaxing routine, and limiting screen time before bed.
3. Overconsuming Sugar
Most people know that eating too much sugar isn’t great for metabolic health—but it can also take a toll on your gut.
Excess sugar feeds harmful bacteria and yeast, throwing off the balance of your microbiome and contributing to bloating and poor digestion.
Research shows that high sugar intake reduces the amount of beneficial gut bacteria, weakens the gut barrier, and promotes inflammation.
While sugar sneaks into many foods, ultra-processed, sugar-rich options are the biggest culprits to cut back on—think soda, fruit juice, energy drinks, sweetened coffee drinks, candy, pastries, and desserts.
Practical Tip: Swapping even one sugary drink or snack a day for a gut-friendly alternative—like sparkling water with fruit—can make a big difference over time.
4. Drinking Excessive Alcohol
Alcohol is a known antiseptic that reduces bacterial growth—and killing off healthy gut bacteria is no exception.
This disruption leads to dysbiosis, or an imbalance of good and bad microbes. Excessive alcohol use also promotes inflammation in the intestines and increases intestinal permeability, often referred to as “leaky gut.”
Guidelines define moderate drinking as up to two drinks per day for men and one or less for women—but research shows that even lower amounts can impair gut health. One study found that three weeks of abstaining from alcohol still wasn’t enough to fully restore the microbiome.
Practical Tip: If you choose to drink, aim to keep it occasional rather than daily, and support your gut by balancing alcohol with fiber-rich meals, plenty of hydration, and regular alcohol-free days.
5. Neglecting Fiber
Fiber is one of the most important nutrients for gut health—especially prebiotic fiber.
Prebiotics feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut, acting like fertilizer for your microbiome. Eating them regularly helps increase the diversity and resilience of your gut bacteria.
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Prebiotic-rich foods to try: garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, apples, and green bananas.
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Other fiber-packed options: beans, lentils, peas, berries, avocado, and pears.
Practical Tip: By eating a wide range of plant foods, you give your gut bacteria different types of fiber to thrive on, helping keep your microbiome balanced.
6. Forgetting Fermented Foods
If you don’t make a conscious effort to include fermented foods in your diet, it’s easy to let them fall by the wayside—but these gut-loving powerhouses are loaded with healthy bacteria that support your digestion.
These foods contain beneficial microbes that do much more than help with digestion—they also support your mood, metabolism, brain function, heart health, and immune system.
Some of the most common fermented foods include:
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Yogurt
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Kefir
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Sauerkraut
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Kimchi
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Tempeh
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Miso
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Fermented pickles
Practical Tip: Incorporating even a few servings of fermented foods each week can give your gut bacteria the boost they need to thrive.
7. Not Hydrating Enough
Adequate hydration is essential for efficient digestion—without enough water, you may experience constipation, bloating, and irregular bowel movements.
Hydration also impacts your gut microbiome. One study found that restricting water disrupted microbial balance, reducing the gut’s ability to clear harmful bacteria and lowering helpful immune cell counts.
Guidelines vary: the Mayo Clinic recommends about 3.7 liters (125 oz) of fluids per day for men and 2.7 liters (91 oz) for women, while others suggest drinking half your body weight in ounces (e.g., 75 ounces for a 150-pound person).
Practical Tip: Sip water consistently throughout the day, add electrolytes after exercise or in hot weather, and eat water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables to keep your gut—and your body—well-hydrated.
8. Skipping Daily Movement
Exercise has a seemingly endless list of benefits attached to it—and better gut health is no exception.
Regular physical activity promotes bowel regularity and reduces constipation by stimulating gut motility, helping food move efficiently through your digestive tract.
Exercise is also linked to a more diverse gut microbiome and positively influences the gut-brain axis, supporting mental health.
In a systematic review, researchers found that people who exercised moderately to intensely for 150–270 minutes per week experienced beneficial changes in their gut bacteria.
Practical tip: You don’t need a gym or intense workouts every day to see benefits—even a daily walk, short yoga session, or a few bodyweight exercises at home can help keep your gut moving, support digestion, and improve your overall gut-brain health.
9. Overconsuming Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners may seem like a gut-friendly way to reduce sugar intake, but research shows they can also negatively impact your gut microbiome.
Some studies suggest that high consumption of sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin can reduce beneficial bacteria and alter microbial balance.
If you love sweets, both sugar and artificial sweeteners can be problematic. Non-nutritive natural sweeteners like monk fruit may be a better option, as they haven’t been linked to gut dysbiosis.
Practical tip: Use artificial sweeteners sparingly. When possible, choose smaller amounts of natural alternatives such as honey or monk fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth while supporting gut health.
Key Takeaways:
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Eat a variety of fiber-rich and fermented foods to nourish your gut bacteria.
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Limit sugar, artificial sweeteners, and alcohol to maintain microbial balance.
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Prioritize hydration, sleep, and regular movement to support digestion and microbiome diversity.
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Don’t skip breakfast—consistent eating times help keep your gut in sync with your circadian rhythm.
Author: Cambria Gloz, Registered Dietitian
References:
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