Top 7 Vitamins for Gut Health (And Where to Find Them)

  • By Performance Lab
  • 10 minute read
Top 7 Vitamins for Gut Health (And Where to Find Them)

Did you know it’s estimated that more than 11% of the United States population suffers from a chronic digestive disease? And in people 65 and older, that number could be as high as 35% 1.

Whether it’s GERD, leaky gut, IBS, or generally poor gut health, the prevalence is strikingly high—and that’s just people who have been diagnosed. Millions of others struggle with digestive discomfort daily without an official diagnosis.

We'll go over the best vitamins for gut health here, but if you have a more serious condition, read our best supplements for IBS article.

Although some medications can help relieve gastrointestinal symptoms, they’re not addressing the root cause—they’re simply masking the problem.

But as a more practical alternative, you can go the natural route. That is, introduce more gut-friendly nutrients into your diet and make diet and lifestyle choices that support a healthy gut.

Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we have you covered! We’ve rounded up the top seven vitamins and minerals for supporting good gut health, and we’re giving you the details on why they work. We’ll also give you a few other tips for supporting gut health.

Why Is Gut Health Important?

When you think about the gut, chances are you think about digestion—eating food, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating what you don’t need. But the gut, and the digestive system in general, are much more.

The gut microbiome is a community of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microscopic creatures that reside in your intestines and on your skin.

Although you’ll find them through the entire GI tract, most live in a “pocket” of the large intestine called the cecum, and we refer to them as the gut microbiome.

Within the gut microbiome, there are roughly 40 trillion bacterial cells in your body, compared to only 30 trillion human cells, meaning you are more bacteria than human 2, 3!

And with up to 1,000 bacteria species residing in the human microbiome, they all play different roles in maintaining optimal health.

A healthy microbiome is characterized by the diversity, stability and resistance, and resilience of the ecosystem. Several factors influence the diversity and composition of the gut environment, which can cause compositional and functional alterations in the microbiota 4.

This is termed dysbiosis, which happens when the microbial balance is shifted in favor of harmful bacteria; dysbiosis will persist until the balance is reestablished.

Under normal, healthy conditions, there is a lot of crosstalk between the host (you) and the microbes that reside in your gut; this creates a homeostatic balance of bacteria to ensure the gut remains healthy and inhibits the proliferation of harmful bacteria.

These microbiota, however, offer a mutually beneficial relationship to the host—the bacteria thrive in the rich gut environment. At the same time, the person benefits from a host of functions the bacteria offers 5.

When imbalances in gut bacteria arise, it’s a breeding ground for disease. Because the health of the gut has such far-reaching effects on the health of every other system in the body, dysbiosis has been implicated in several diseases, including 5:

  • Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis)
  • Obesity
  • Allergies
  • Type 1 diabetes mellitus
  • Autism
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Autoimmunity
  • Chronic inflammation

It’s widely recognized that a diverse and balanced microbiome is key to establishing and maintaining good health. While many factors influence its health and composition, diet is a biggie. That’s why it’s vital to consume various nutrients through food.

Top 7 Vitamins For Better Gut Health

1. Vitamin B12

While all B vitamins are essential for optimal health, vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, has a couple of especially important functions. Its primary role is to support erythropoiesis (red blood cell production) and maintain the function of the nervous system, but it’s also involved in gut health, DNA production, and iron absorption.

How it supports gut health:

Although not the traditional role of vitamin B12, research shows that it can help maintain gut health by rebalancing bacterial levels 6. Several factors can cause harmful bacteria to proliferate in the gut, leading to nasty symptoms.

B12 is also involved in the production of digestive enzymes, which are needed to help break down food for absorption, which may be why B12 is often said to boost energy levels 7.

Where to find it:

Liver, kidneys, clams, sardines, beef, tuna, fortified cereal, trout, salmon, nutritional yeast, milk and dairy products, eggs,

2. Iron

Whether you’re a plant-based eater or not, getting enough iron is essential. The body needs iron to synthesize its oxygen transport proteins, hemoglobin, and myoglobin, as well as to form heme enzymes and other iron-containing enzymes involved in electron transfer and oxidation-reduction reactions 8.

It is recycled and conserved by the body in tissues, but consuming enough through diet is critical for optimal health, especially in menstruating women. Iron deficiency can lead to iron-deficiency anemia.

How it supports gut health:

One of iron’s little-known properties is as a powerful anti-inflammatory. This can help dampen inflammation in the gut, especially within the gut lining; too much inflammation can lead to conditions like leaky gut, IBS, and IBD 9.

In short, iron can promote healing from the inside out but can also combat excessive levels of harmful bacteria in the gut, which can improve nutrient absorption, reduce inflammation or digestive discomfort, and lead to an overall healthier digestive tract.

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Where to find it:

  • Heme: Oysters, liver, clams, mussels, organ meats, sardines, beef, poultry, tuna

  • Non-heme: Spinach (cooked), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, soybeans, blackstrap molasses, lentils, tempeh

3. Zinc

Zinc is another essential mineral that plays a crucial role in immune function, growth and development, and DNA and protein production. It’s also needed for wound healing, gene expression, and as a cofactor for more than 300 enzymatic reactions 11, 12.

How it supports gut health:

Zinc is a must for the health of the gut thanks to its ability to fortify the gut lining. Studies show that zinc elicits actions on the gastrointestinal epithelial tight junctions and epithelial barrier function, and increasing zinc intake could strengthen and enhance the epithelial barrier function 13.

When the gut lining separates and develops tiny micropores, nutrients and bacteria slip through and trigger widespread systemic inflammation. Zinc is also needed for cell growth and proliferation, which helps kickstart gut lining repair.

On top of that, zinc may also influence bacterial diversity in the gut, and sufficient zinc levels can encourage healthier bacterial populations and balance 14.

Where to find it:

Beef, pork, lamb, oysters, chickpeas, lentils, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, cashews, almonds, eggs, quinoa, oats, sweet potato

4. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is the super-vitamin of the nutrient world and plays a role in everything from skin health and immune function to bone integrity and inflammation. It’s widely available in food sources, but the best source is sunlight.

Vitamin D plays a key role in several biological processes, including bone metabolism, cell growth, immune function, and more 15. But for plant-based eaters, getting enough from diet alone may be difficult.

How it supports gut health:

With powerful anti-inflammatory properties, vitamin D could play a role in gut health by reducing inflammation in conditions like IBS or leaky gut.

Sufficient levels of vitamin D also support the production of defensins—tiny anti-microbial molecules that are a vital component of the nervous system and inflammation 16, 17.

Where to find it:

Sun exposure, supplements, cold-water fatty fish, cod liver oil, egg yolks, fortified milk

5. Selenium

Most people don’t pay much attention to selenium, but it’s essential for optimal health and well-being. It has powerful antioxidant properties that protect cells against oxidative damage, encourage thyroid hormone production and metabolism, and promote DNA synthesis 18.

How it supports gut health:

Thanks to its powerful antioxidant properties, selenium plays a key role in protecting cells from free radical damage. Excessive stress can increase free radical production, which can wreak havoc on gut health, including triggering inflammation in the gut.

As a result, it can lead to chronic GI inflammation, ulcers, and damage to the intestinal lining. Selenium is also essential for inhibiting NF-kB and the activation of other inflammatory molecules like interleukin-6 and TNF-alpha 19. Once the inflammation subsides, the gut can start to heal.

Where to find it:

Brazil nuts, tuna, oysters, clams, pork, beef, turkey, chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, brown rice, sunflower seeds, baked beans, mushrooms

6. Vitamin C

Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient with powerful antioxidant properties. It’s involved in producing collagen to maintain healthy tissues, immune function, antioxidant regeneration, and protein metabolism 20. But since we can’t make vitamin C, it has to come through diet or supplementation.

How it supports gut health:

For plant-based eaters, vitamin C is essential for boosting the absorption of non-heme iron, reducing the number of iron inhibitors, and enhancing your cell’s receptivity to iron in the GI tract 21.

It’s also needed to promote cellular healing by reducing free radical damage to the gut lining 22. Additionally, its ability to regenerate other antioxidants helps to further protect cells from oxidative stress and reduce inflammation 23.

Related Post: Vitamin C for IBS

Where to find it:

Citrus fruits, berries, red peppers, broccoli, acerola cherry, tomatoes, strawberries, kiwi, papaya, Brussels sprouts, supplements

7. Magnesium

Lastly, we get to magnesium—the super mineral. It’s essential for bone health, energy production, muscle contraction, nervous system function, and regulating gut health via supporting stomach acid production 24, 25.

While small amounts of magnesium are stored in the body, ensure sufficient dietary intake to avoid a deficiency.

How it supports gut health:

One of the ways magnesium benefits the digestive system is by encouraging regular movement of the intestines for optimal absorption and elimination 26.

It’s also needed to promote and balance levels of stomach acid for proper nutrient absorption; for people with acid reflux or GERD, magnesium supplements can be helpful to reduce symptoms.

Where to find it:

Dark chocolate, avocado, cashews, Brazil nuts, black beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, flax, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, oats, buckwheat, quinoa, salmon

Other Ways To Support Gut Health

1. Get enough sleep

As we’ll talk about next, stress is a big one for gut health, and sleep deprivation is a form of stress on the body.

Studies find that insufficient sleep can affect the gut and lead to issues like gas, bloating, inflammation, abdominal pain, food sensitivities, leaky gut, and changes to the gut microbiome 27.

Evidence is largely mixed, but it’s largely agreed upon that if you want optimal gut health, you must get enough sleep.

2. Limit stress

Chronic stress is a massive deal for gut health, and it can wreak havoc on nearly every aspect of the body. Stress weakens the intestinal barrier and alters the microbiome’s composition via stress hormones, inflammation, and autonomic alterations.

In turn, bacteria release metabolites, toxins, and neurohormones that can change eating behaviors and trigger mood imbalances 28.

3. Try probiotics and prebiotics

Last but not least, on top of ensuring you’re consuming a wide array of gut-supportive nutrients, consider including prebiotics and probiotics into your supplement stack (alongside Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi—the easiest way to get all your gut-healthy nutrients in one go).

Without food, your good gut bugs can’t survive, allowing for the proliferation of harmful bacteria that can cause disease. That’s why you need both probiotics (the bacteria) and prebiotics (the food).

But here’s the thing: conventional probiotics supplements aren’t all that beneficial. So, why not trade yours in for something that actually works?

Performance Lab Prebiotic is an upgraded gut supplement that kicks all concerns around traditional probiotic supplements to the curb.

Rather than introducing new bacterial strains, Prebiotic nourishes the colonies that already exist in your gut using Orafti® Synergy1 (Inulin-FOS from chicory root) for robust growth and health.

It’s 2-in-1 probiotic + soluble fiber support for healthy metabolic and microbiome performance delivering safer, more natural, and more reliable microbiome support.

References

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