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According to gastroenterologists, what you sip on throughout the day can play an essential role in both keeping your body well-hydrated and regulating your digestive system. But if the thought of chugging multiple glasses of plain ol’ water triggers your ick factor, you’re not alone. Fortunately, imbibing in tasty beverages like tea, smoothies, and coffee (yay!) can boast impressive gut-friendly benefits, too.
That’s why in 2022, we sought to find the most delicious drinks for gut health to fill up our favorite reusable water bottles. Enter delicious concoctions like golden milk smoothies, infused waters, and matcha-laced juices that both support your microbiome and quench your thirst.
6 most delicious drinks for gut health we couldn’t stop sipping this year
1. Honeydew Water
If you’ve tried sipping lemon water first thing in the morning but found that it caused too much stomach irritation or weakened your tooth enamel, honeydew water might be your new (fave) drink of choice. This lower-acid version is loaded with health benefits to keep you hydrated and help things move along in your gut, too. This is due to its high potassium levels that help balance sodium levels and regulate bodily functions, like maintaining electrolyte balance, proper muscle contraction, nerve transmission, and fluid balance. Plus, honeydew’s subtly sweet flavor is the perfect way to entice you to drink more water.
Get the recipe: Honeydew Water
2. Cold Brew Caramel Frappuccino
We recently learned from Will Bulsiewicz, MD, a gastroenterologist and New York Times bestselling author of the books Fiber Fueled and The Fiber Fueled Cookbook, that coffee does indeed contain gut-friendly fiber and antioxidants. So, when you want to spruce up your all-time favorite drink of the day, this vegan cold brew caramel frappuccino by Minimalist Baker will hit the spot. Pre-make the cold brew in large batches to save tons of time in the morning, and blend it with homemade fiber-filled date caramel for the best homemade, gut-healthy frappuccino of all time. YUM.
Get the recipe: Cold Brew Caramel Frappuccino
3. A Dietitian’s Coffee Order
TBH, we don’t always have the motivation to prepare a more-than-one-step coffee order first thing in the day—especially before any caffeine has made it into our systems. But if that means that all we can muster the energy to make is a steamy pot of hot black coffee, it might actually be a blessing in disguise. According to Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, CLEC, CPT, a registered dietitian based in Charleston, drinking black coffee is her go-to the majority of the time. That’s because coffee made with added sugar or sweeteners can contribute to inflammation. And when this RD is looking for an extra gut-friendly booster, she adds a prebiotic and probiotic supplement powder that easily dissolves in her cup of joe with a quick stir, too.
Get the recipe: A Registered Dietitian’s Coffee Order
4. Matcha-Infused Green Juice
When we spoke with Dr. Bulsiewicz, he revealed that matcha green tea also contains loads of microbiome-boosting antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits (along with coffee). That’s why this matcha-infused green juice was one of our go-to drinks this year: It’s basically an energy-boosting, vitamin-rich match made in heaven. Plus, teas like matcha are packed with L-theanine, an amino acid linked to reducing stress, boosting cognitive function, and improving mood. Win-win.
Get the recipe: Matcha-Infused Green Juice
5. Gastroenterologist’s Gut-Boosting Smoothie
This gastroenterologist-crafted gut-boosting five-ingredient smoothie is made with 16 grams of fiber per serving, which is nearly two-thirds of the daily recommended baseline for women and half for men. It also features just five simple ingredients—bananas, spinach, blueberries, flax seeds, and organic soymilk—which all boast an impressive bevy of benefits, including supporting a healthy gut microbiome.
Get the recipe: Five-Ingredient Gut-Boosting Smoothie
6. Golden Milk Smoothie
This golden milk smoothie is basically the golden child of anti-inflammatory, gut-friendly drinks from one of our favorite Plant-Based episodes this year. In the show, Rachelle Robinett, a certified herbalist and the founder of Supernatural, covers the gut-healthy bases with ingredients like herbs, spices, and vegetables that contain prebiotics, probiotics, and fiber to make this drink as beneficial for supporting your microbiome as possible. (And it tastes absolutely delicious, too.)
Get the recipe: Golden Milk Smoothie
Learn how to make the most delicious golden milk smoothie with the help of this step-by-step recipe video:
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