“Can you suggest natural remedies to protect the gut?”

If you eat healthy and well balanced foods then there is nothing to protect in the gut - it will stay healthy by virtue of your healthy diet and no additional "natural remedies" are required. Avoiding food poisoning is wise, so stay away from fast food, packaged vegetables, undercooked meat. Avoid processed foods and don't overeat. The healthiest diets are probably classic Mediterranean and Japanese cuisine.

I believe that patients should avoid Dairy, wheat, Bread, Pasta, Rice, potatoes and sugar. Taking a Probiotic is good for Colon Health. Also avoid GMO’s are all proactive things you and your family can do to help eating and living a healthier life.

I am a proponent of Lectin Shield, from Steven Gundry, MD. It protects from mucosal degeneration, leaky gut, food intolerance, and allergic phenomena. Also, a good probiotic with at least 50 billion count and 6-12 strains of bacteria. I am a believer in alkalinized water (9.5 pH), especially with trace elements and minerals. Make sure you have addressed intestinal yeast, looked for parasites, and avoid zone eating. Intermittent fasting is also beneficial. And take 500 mg of Nicotinamide Riboside with early meals daily.

Phillip Milgram, MD

You are doing all the right things. Highly processed foods or meats that have been burned or overcooked should be avoided. Apples and oatmeal are good sources of fiber.

You sound tremendously well informed already. You are already ahead of 85-95 % of Americans in your fermented food and dietary choices and intake. Probiotics in fermented foods and probiotics need a healthy "nursery" prebiotic for their offspring to grow and really take purchase. Certain prebiotic foods and their fibers provide the safe place to grow along with polyphenols which supply the nutrients to support a healthy microbiome. Without resorting to supplements, one can eat plantains, onions,
artichokes, sliced garlic, and asparagus to providesources of fiber that are food for beneficial bacteria in your gut. These fibers help them grow and thrive. Prebiotic fibers are helpful in the treatment and prevention of irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and intestinal permeability.
In regards to optimal gut balance, trying to regularly include foods that are rich in polyphenols with aid in promoting your gut health. Examples of these are cocoa powder, dark chocolate (>70% cacao), flaxseed meal, elderberry fruit, sage, rosemary, thyme, blueberry, capers, black olives, and plums (prunes).
Keep up the healthy focus on your and your family's gut health, for its implications on health are amazingly widespread.

Best regards,

Dr. Burns

Yogurt and fermented foods help preserve the normal gut bacterial flora. Foods that are low in acid help prevent hyperacidity and related conditions. High-fiber foods help regulate bowel movements. FODMAP diets help with bloating and irritable bowel syndrome.