Unhappy Tummy? These Tips And Supplements Could Help Solve That

We’ve all had an upset stomach for a few days and thought nothing of it. Maybe it was something you ate (or didn’t eat), but the discomfort slowly went away and you thought nothing of it. But what if that was your gut trying to tell you an important message? Now, we get it, communicating with your gut might not be the simplest process. But we’ve chatted to the experts and they’ve shared their tips and tricks for working toward solving your gut health issues; if you implement their recommended strategies and still find that your gut is misbehaving, perhaps talk to your doctor and see about implementing a supplement.

Now there’s not one simple fix to totally overhauling your gut, but to get some top tips and tricks around improving and resetting your gut, we chatted to gut health specialists Lola Berry and Leanne Ward to find out more.

But, first things first, what is gut health? Lola describes it as “the king of your overall health as it can affect almost every other system of the body.” Because the gut is responsible for so many functions of everyday life (it’s even able to boost serotonin!), healing your gut and creating a diverse microbiome will help other aspects of your health fall into place.

So, what are some signs that you need to improve your gut health? It’s important to note that any kind of gut discomfort (bloating, diarrhoea and constipation) are key signs that something is out of balance. Leanne even goes on to say if you’re experiencing “a weak immune system or you’re constantly fatigued” then you may be in need of a gut health check.

If you’re looking for a lifestyle change that comes back to food, the ever-buzzy ‘plant-based’ diet is one way to go about it, especially going off one designed by the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) specifically aimed at targeting gut health: The CSIRO Healthy Gut Diet ($31.75 from Booktopia).

But hey, it’s not the only option. So, your skin’s been breaking out lately, and you’ve been using all your serums but nothing is helping it? Well, we hate to tell you this, but it’s probably coming from your gut. While everyone is different, Lola suggests “decreasing inflammation” can help soothe some skin conditions. And while there are many factors that influence gut health, supplements are one that can potentially provide aid.

An important PSA before we get into a few standout supplement options; always consult a doctor before starting a new supplement, especially if you have ongoing discomfort.

2024’s Top 3 Gut Health Supplements

1. The Beauty Chef Gut Primer, $75, Adore Beauty
2. Habitual Beauty Advanced Skin + Gut Health Collagen Elixir, $88, Adore Beauty
3. Herbs of Gold Digest-Zymes, $31.30, Healthy Life

The Beauty Chef Gut Primer

from $75 at Adore Beauty

If there’s anything that screams a happy healthy gut, it’s The Beauty Chef Gut Primer. This tasty powder is made using a mix of traditional Western Herbal Medicine and science-backed ingredients. Slippery elm and licorice (not the tasty sweet, but the soothing plant) work to assist in the respiration of the gut wall lining (which has most likely been damaged by inflammation),  while turmeric helps to relieve the ongoing, recurring symptoms associated with poor gut health. And because a healthy gut doesn’t just impact your insides, there’s a mix of skin-boosting benefits that come alongside the gut support with this formula.

Key features:

• Delicious mix of berry and mint flavour 
• Made in Australia 
• Assists in repair of gut wall lining 

Available at:

• $75 from Adore Beauty
• $60 (usually $75) from Look Fantastic
• $75 from The Beauty Chef

Habitual Beauty Advanced Skin + Gut Health Collagen Elixir

from $88 at Adore Beauty

With a wide range of flavours available (and even a pack designed for you to taste test the options), you’ll be able to pick a flavour that suits you with these handy sachets. For example, you may love the fresh, zinginess of the yuzu and finger lime flavour. This easy-to-absorb bioactive elixir not only works to soothe your skin with its 10,000mg of bioavailable hydrolyzed collagen peptides, but it works to settle your gut too. How? With a five tier digestive enzyme designed to help break down all the molecules into smaller pieces so your body can process them better.  

Want to read more? Read Habitual Beauty Advanced Skin + Gut Health Collagen Elixir Reviews here…

Key features:

• 5-in-1 health benefits 
• Packaged as a handy sachet 
• 100 per cent recyclable packaging

Available at:

• $88 (usually $110) from Adore Beauty
• $110 from The Memo
• $110 from Habitual Beauty

Herbs of Gold Digest-Zymes

from $31.30 at Healthy Life

This vegetarian-friendly tablet is here to support your gut. Made from plant-derived enzymes, these tablets are created to be highly stable, which means they remain active through the digestive tract for longer (AKA they can continue breaking down foods for longer). And as those enzymes are hard at work breaking down foods, the tablets release gentian (another ingredient thanks to Western herbal medicine) that aids the digestion of food. This formula is all about aiming to provide relief for symptoms related to digestive disorders (bloating, indigestion etc.). 

Key features:

• Supports digestive functions
• Made from microbial enzymes 
• Made with Western medicine herb gentian 

Available at:

• $31.30 (usually $48.95) from Healthy Life
• $31.95 (usually $48.95) from Chemist Direct

Swisse Apple Cider Vinegar + Fibre Gummies

from $22.99 at Swisse

Look, you won’t be seeing any judgement from us if your preferred way of taking supplements is in gummy form. This palatable gummy formula hides the taste of the apple cider vinegar, making it literally an easier pill to swallow. Apple cider vinegar works to reduce acid reflux, and has clever antibiotic features that helps fight bacterial infections, while fibre is also included to help digestion along.

Want to read more? Read Swisse Reviews here… 

Key features:

• Easy-to-swallow gummy form 
• Offers apple cider vinegar benefits without the taste 
• Promotes regularity

Available at:

• $29.99 from Swisse
• $15 (usually $30) from Woolworths
• $14.99 (usually $29.99) from Chemist Warehouse

Intu Wellness Gut & Skin Rejuvenation Tub

from $72 at Intu Wellness

Get glowing from the inside out with this gut-supporting blend. This Aussie-made vegan powder has been formulated by experts, and is packed with 12 active ingredients. When taken daily, a dose of this will not only help support your digestion and gut health, but it will also work to help to detoxify your liver, working to reveal healthy, glowing skin and hair. And if that wasn’t enough, this tasty powder (it tastes like peaches!) even comes in a super convenient sachet form too. 

Key features:

• Natural peach flavour
• Easy-to-absorb formula 
• Backed by traditional and scientific evidence 

Available at:

• $72 from Intu Wellness

Nature’s Way Restore Probiotic 100 Billion Capsules

from $41.99 at Healthy Life

These pro (and pre)biotics are packed with one hundred billion bacteria to support your digestive system. If you’ve had to take antibiotics, you know how damaged and disturbed your gut microbiome can get. So, taking these supportive capsules will help to restore your gut flora back to working order. Not only that, the inclusion of prebiotics in this capsule supports your general wellbeing and boosts your immune system. 

Want to read more? Read Nature’s Way Reviews here…

Key features:

• Made with added prebiotic 
• Relieves digestive discomfort 
• Helps support healthy gut flora 

Available at:

• $41.99 (usually $52.49) from Healthy Life
• $41.99 (usually $49.99) from Woolworths
• $20.99 (usually $52.49) from Chemist Warehouse

Vitable Clean Greens Powder

from $35 at Vitable 

Who wouldn’t want to start their day with a (fun) green glass of tropical water? We’re on board, especially knowing the good that it brings! With an organic mix of antioxidant-packed greens, and paired with fibre, this powder will get you going (you know what we mean). Yep, this powder works hard to get your digestive system in order, so you can be experiencing regular bowel movements once more. Vitable isn’t just doing good for your gut, but also the environment with their plastic-free compostable packaging; win win.

Key features:

• Tropical flavour
• Made with organic greens
• Vegan formula

Available at:

• $35 from Vitable 
• $39.99 from Rebel Sport

Ultra Nature Liver Detox & Digestive Support

$42.74 at Healthy Life 

While we may want to focus on enhancing our gut health, we can’t forget to look at its toxin-ridding counterpart: the liver. So we know that detoxing and creating a healthier atmosphere in your gut helps your liver process less toxins. But what effect does detoxing your liver have on gut health? Well, once the liver has processed those toxins (or not, in an ideal world) it then passes it back through your intestines (still part of your gut). So if we have negative waste passing through our cleansed gut then we’ll still be seeing issues. These tablets work to help not only increase digestive support but also to cleanse out your liver.

Want to read more? Read Ultra Nature Liver Detox & Digestive Support Reviews here…

Key features:

• Works to reduce free radical damage
• Supports and regenerates a healthy liver 
• Reduces bloating 

Available at:

• $42.74 (usually $44.99) from Healthy Life (currently out of stock)
• $44.95 from Respect Health

How do you get rid of gut problems?

Lola and Leanne both used a term that we want to see everywhere when it comes to gut health:  ‘tribiotics’. But what does that mean? Well, for the sake of improving gut health, Lola and Leanee say that we need this trifecta of pre, pro and post biotics to create a supported gut health ecosystem. For Leanne, she wants us to start focusing on what we can add to our diet to maximise the diversity. However, when it comes to potential reductions, Leanne did give us a stern warning when it comes to alcohol and stress. With alcohol being a toxin that can cause inflammation, she lets us know it ought to be enjoyed in moderation. Stress actually can cause negative effects on your gut too, so maybe wind down with meditation rather than a merlot. 

How to ‘reset’ your gut health

Leanne gave us insight into what a gut ‘reset’ looks like, and how to go about it. “A gut reset can aim to remove the negative things in your life causing poor gut health and increase the positive things that we know can help gut bacteria. The goal of a gut reset is to aim to restore and improve your gut microbiome by reducing down negative bacteria and increasing beneficial bacteria.” 

So, how do we go about this? While everybody is different, Lola suggests “eliminating certain inflammatory causing foods like refined sugars, high like processed wheat, and dairy for some people.” And try to increase your tribiotic intake! This is where supplements can come into play, to help give you that extra biotic boost.

But don’t worry, ‘resetting’ your gut isn’t necessarily a huge endeavour. Leanne let us know that you “can restore positive bacteria in just a few days, so over two to three days”. The process is a relatively simple one: “cut out alcohol, stop smoking, move your body regularly, follow a whole food plant-based diet or a Mediterranean diet, aim for as many types of plants and fibre as possible, cut out added sugar and ultra-processed foods, add in prebiotics and probiotics from foods and focus on stress management”.

Leanne does stipulate that there’s always going to be value in an achievable, consistent approach. She recommends following those rules for 70 to 80 per cent of the time, as “eating well forever is important for not only their gut, but also their health risks, their mood, their energy and their blood sugars.”

Foods to help heal the gut

So the main thing we need you to know about adding foods into your diet is to keep them as unrefined as possible. Leanne wants us to know that “one of the most important things is to add a more diverse range of wholefoods to your diet, [as] the science shows us adding 30 different types of plants and fibres every week can maximise our gut environment.” Both Lola and Leanne agree that on a whole we need to add more fibre (hint: fibre is also often a great source of prebiotics). 

So, the foods to add in (especially remembering your veggies) are oats, apples, nuts & seeds, legumes and everyone’s fave: avocado! Don’t forget, fermented foods are also an amazing source of probiotics. A pretty tasty way to live really!

Want even more tips for improving your gut health? Here are some extra suggestions…

Do you take any supplements? Would you incorporate these gut health tips into your wellness routine?