As we age, our bodies and lifestyles undergo changes, making it crucial to recognise that the ways we care for our gut health needs to evolve as well.

These different signs have been identified as symptoms of an unhealthy gut:

• Gas & bloating
• Weight fluctuations
• Skin issues
• Moodiness, irritability and trouble with concentration
• Fatigue or insomnia
• Sugar

From understanding the vital role our gut plays in our overall wellbeing, it’s beneficial to recognise when our gut may not be at its best, and the ways we can improve our gut health throughout different life stages.

30s

Our thirties tend to be a decade of responsibility as many people begin to focus on career development and the possibility of beginning a family.

As our lives get busier it’s important to prioritise your gut health and build a strong foundation for the future years to come.

Throughout your thirties, focusing on a balanced diet, managing stress and prioritising probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics will support the development of a healthy gut.

We understand the temptation to reach for a quick fast-food meal as your schedule gets more hectic throughout the week. To prevent this, we recommend trying to meal prep on the weekend to ensure you have a fridge full of ready-to-eat healthy food. As our stress levels are higher throughout the week it’s important to prepare foods that are rich in vitamin B such as nuts, dairy and lean meats.

With many people beginning to focus on building a family during this decade it is essential to fuel your body with foods that will benefit fertility health. Research has found that 40% of women in this age group are also not eating enough iron. Attempting to incorporate more iron rich foods into your diet will be beneficial for your overall gut wellbeing and fertility health.

40s

Our 40s are the decade where our metabolic rate slows down as we become less active. To keep a healthy gut during this time we may need to reduce the amount of processed carbohydrates we eat, such as white bread and pasta. Eating these types of foods in excess may lead to weight gain, fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin levels.

This is the decade that women may also begin to experience some perimenopause symptoms. We recommend incorporating vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale into your diet during this time to help increase oestrogen levels and reduce inflammation.

50s & Beyond

During this time, we should be aiming to maintain a healthy weight, reduce inflammation and build our immunity by boosting protein, calcium, complex grains and good fats.

When you’re postmenopausal you have a higher risk of osteoporosis and don’t absorb calcium as efficiently, so it’s essential to increase your calcium intake to 1,200 mg per day.

Continue eating lots of fiber to promote healthy bowel movements, digestion, heart health, and also slow sugar absorption to stabilise blood sugar levels, and help maintain a healthy weight.

Eating enough protein helps build and preserve lean muscle mass, which is important for an active lifestyle, a strong metabolism, and proper immune health

Eating foods that are high in both good fats and protein such as tuna and salmon can help support hormone production, hair and nail growth.

Prioritise prebiotics and probiotics.

Prebiotics and probiotics work together to create a healthy gut. Prebiotics are seen as the fuel for probiotics which are the living microorganisms that help to maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria in your gut. If you’re time poor incorporating enough fermented foods into your diet can be a struggle. For an easy and sweet solution we recommend adding our P3 Gut Builder. Made through a slow fermentation process where prebiotics and postbiotics are combined to produce probiotic strains that can bypass the normal metabolic process to immediately deliver benefits straight to your digestive system.