When starting on your own gut journey it can be incredibly hard to know where to start and what the best supplements for beginners include.
There are many conflicting messages online and it can be a bit overwhelming for someone going through this process for the first time.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be hard. Let’s simplify this shall we?
What do you actually need?
There are two main misleading messages that circulate around the gut health space.
- There is a single supplement or pill that can “cure” you
- The more supplements you take, the better your chances of healing are
Both are these thoughts are entirely incorrect and actually very harmful for those trying to heal.
Mentally thinking that one pill will fix all of your issues is quite damaging, as very very rarely does that ever happen… I may even say never.
Healing your gut is a complicated process, one that normally requires many different layers of rebuilding and soothing.
By throwing a single “magic” pill on your stomach, oftentimes you just cover up the symptoms.
It is important to address the root cause of your gut issues, or else you will get caught in an endless loop of trying to just “feel” better.
A Balanced Diet Plus….
On the other hand, there is a way to overdo it on the supplements since the primary way you’ll heal with nutrition is through a balanced diet.
Most of us don’t need twenty different supplements to take daily, and this can actually just end up further harming your gut.
If your gut is already in a sensitive space, overloading it with mass levels of different herbs and supplements can just end up in more pain and symptoms.
So, what is the answer?
While I can’t tell you the perfect number of supplements to take, the best supplements for beginners, or which ones will be best suited to your own journey, I can provide a good idea based on research and real-life application.
Supplement Tips for Beginners
1. Start slow and steady
Choose one or two supplements to start off with and slowly build up. Give your body time to adjust and see what feels good for YOU.
2. Do your own research
Even though I am providing some of my personal favorite supplements, they may not be what your body needs.
Listen to your body and even do some of your own research to find how best to support it.
In fact, I have a specific way for you to do this with my Weekly Gut Healing Check In HERE.
3. Accept that change does not happen overnight
As someone starting their gut healing journey it can be very tempting to want to see change right away.
Gut healing will take time, allow yourself the grace and flexibility to heal without a timeframe in mind.
Best Supplements for Beginners {on your gut healing journey}
Click HERE to save these best supplements for beginners for later.
Calming Down Inflammation
One of the first places to start when thinking of the best supplements for beginners is by looking at supporting your body as a whole.
Most people with Gutsy issues have extremely high levels of inflammation in our tissues. This can be due to an overreactive immune system or increased levels of infection within the intestines.
Inflammation makes it harder to digest food as well as impairs gut healing.
To calm down inflammation:
DGL
DGL is thought to both reduce inflammation and have a positive effect on the production of mucus (helps protect the gut).
Go for DGL rather than straight licorice root as it has the glycyrrhizin removed.
Glycyrrhizin can raise blood pressure and cause other negative side effects.
Aloe Vera, Slippery Elm + Marshmallow Root
These three supplements help coat the intestines and promote anti-inflammation.
They can be a game changer for calming down your symptoms and letting the other supplements do their job.
These products come in various forms, but my favorite is a product called GI Revive. This comes in a powdered form and can be added into any hot beverage.
It contains so many soothing ingredients I mentioned above, such as marshmallow root, slippery elm, and L-glutamine.
It is perfect for calming down the inflammation as well as promoting healthy intestinal cells.
Vitamin D
This one may come as a surprise, but vitamin D actually helps encourage a healthy immune system. In general, it’s one of the best supplements for beginners.
A healthy immune system = lower inflammation. It also can help with leaky gut, something I’ll talk about down below.
A recent study proved that vitamin D can help with the junctions between cells and encourage a healthy gut lining barrier.
It also can help boost energy levels as well as promote a healthy gut microbiome. For more information check out THIS article.
{Note: Vitamin C is also critical for reducing inflammation while maintaining a healthy immune system, too.}
Tummy Soothe
A Gutsy Girl created this supplement very intentionally for you.
Tummy Soothe promotes a healthy inflammatory response. It actually contains IgG, a type of antibody that binds to toxins. This can help bind to irritating compounds and pathogens and remove them before they even make it to your gut.
Tummy Soothe is a great way to both support your gut and prevent further irritation. It comes via powder form for increased compliance, which is key (compliance and consistency) in having supplements work.
Tummy Soothe, the product we brought to the marketplace:
- Supports gut health
- Supports GI mucosal health
- Supports gut and systemic immune function
- Supports GI barrier integrity
Use code ‘AGUTSYGIRL’ at checkout to save 15% off your entire first purchase.
Sources: HERE, HERE, and HERE.
Promoting Healthy Intestinal Lining
Another aspect that is important to concentrate on is promoting healthy intestinal lining.
Many people struggling with digestive issues have “leaky gut,” a condition where the spaces between intestinal cells are too large.
This allows foreign pathogens to get through and cause… inflammation. And bacterial overgrowth. And yeast. Basically all kinds of unwanted critters.
This is a good reason to get your intestinal lining back into shape.
So to promote a healthy lining here are a couple top supplements:
Collagen
Collagen is extremely helpful for gut healing as it has so many beneficial properties. It is a primary component of the connective tissue in our body- such as our blood and bones, and it plays an important role in ensuring our tissue is healthy.
Consuming collagen not only boosts our entire body health, but it is also known to help repair intestinal lining.
For collagen, I would recommend collagen peptides, as they are easier on the gut and more easily able to be absorbed.
THIS is the collagen I use and recommend.
L-glutamine
This is an amino acid that helps promote a healthy gut lining.
An amino acid is the simplest form of protein, and is known as the “building block” of the human body.
In particular, L-glutamine helps to tighten the spaces between cells, reducing the “leaky gut” component of many digestive issues.
It has also been shown to help encourage growth of intestinal cells, allowing the reformation of the intestinal barrier.
Furthermore, it has also been proven to reduce common IBS symptoms such as bloating, gas, and abdominal pain as well as provide easily absorbable nutrients.
L-glutamine is all around one of my favorites.
Note: It’s also used for a pre workout supplement to help support muscle mass.
You can learn more about L-Glutamine for Gut Healing HERE.
Encouraging Healthy Bacterial Growth
Another key area to address with the best supplements for beginners is encouraging healthy bacterial growth in the intestines.
Now this recommendation can sometimes make people who have underlying SIBO feel better or worse, so it is a hit or miss. Give it a little bit of time to adjust and if it isn’t feeling right then simply remove it from your supplement rotation. {Also read: Should I Take a Probiotic with SIBO?}
Probiotics
Probiotics contain different strains of healthy bacteria that can help to “reset” your gut microbiome.
Healthy bacteria can help encourage a healthy gut lining as well as overall digestive function.
In addition to being one of the best supplements for beginners, probiotics have been clinically studied and shown to reduce negative symptoms associated with GI issues such as IBS, SIBO, and Crohn’s.
Since bacterial dysbiosis in the gut is another common root cause for digestive distress, it makes perfect sense why probiotics could help.
Use code “AGUTSYGIRL’ at checkout to save 15% on the Just Thrive Probiotic (+ everything in their supplement line).
Digestive Support
It is also crucial to give your gut the support it needs while you are trying to heal it.
Impaired digestion causes a lot of those unwanted symptoms such as gas, bloating, pain, and irregular bowel movements.
By helping our system more efficiently break down food we prevent both these symptoms and reduce overall inflammation.
Digestive Enzymes
Enzymes are proteins that bind to food and break them down into more digestable pieces.
You can experiment with different enzyme brands but look for ones that contain lipase, proteases, and amylase.
All of these are basic enzymes to break down common ingredients in our food such as carbs, proteins, and fats.
Break Down is a comprehensive formula designed to support optimal digestion and absorption of essential nutrients. This unique formula contains a proprietary blend of digestive enzymes and betaine hydrochloride (HCl) to support the breakdown of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. With the addition of special protease dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV), this product helps in the digestion of difficult-to-digest peptides like gluteomorphin, casomorphin, and soymorphin. It also contains lactase to break down lactose in dairy products. If you struggle with gas, bloating, constipation or feeling full after only a small meal, Break Down is the perfect choice for you.
HCL
Some people find relief with HCL as it helps increase gastric acid in the stomach.
This is particularly helpful for those with high protein intake levels, as gastric acid is key for breaking down protein.
Low stomach acid is one of the most common causes of SIBO, so it is worth checking this out to see if it can provide some relief.
For more information on low stomach acid and whether or not you might have it, check out THESE 33 ways to tell if you have low stomach acid.
Move Now
This is another product from the A Gutsy Girl supplement line that can help with regulating bowel movements.
A lot of the time our body needs help getting back to its baseline function.
Healthy poops help to remove toxins and irritants from the body, so this is a must.
The chelated magnesium has other benefits for sleep and regulation of mood, which is an added bonus!
For best results take this supplement right before bed for all the added health benefits.
Get Tummy Soothe + Break Down + Move Now in one bundle for the best “starter kit” to optimal digestion.
Nutrient Intake
A lot of the time, many of us with Gutsy issues have severe nutrient deficiencies.
When our intestines are inflamed or we have cellular damage, it is much harder for nutrients to be absorbed across our intestinal wall.
It is so so important to make sure you are supporting your healing journey with proper nutrient intake including important vitamins, minerals, and fats.
Now, I may be a bit biased but I do think these next two supplements (yes, the final 2 in the A Gutsy Girl supplement line) are perfect for providing these essential nutrients.
More Omega
This products contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are critical to so many different functions in the body.
Some of their main benefits include relief from joint pain, cardiovascular health, and healthy cell membranes.
The fish oil in this product also comes in triglyceride form, the way that it is commonly seen in nature.
Nourish Plus
Another Gutsy product that is built on optimal nutrient absorption.
This is a multivitamin that is modeled after the ideal evolutionary diet.
It contains many phytonutrients that have been shown to have beneficial effects on overall health as well as essential vitamin B, vitamin E, and vitamin K.
Feeding your body optimal nutrients is CRITICAL to gut healing.
We can’t expect our bodies to heal without providing it the energy it needs to do so.
Source: HERE
Daily
On a daily basis, these are the supplements I currently take (Sarah Kay Hoffman, A Gutsy Girl).
However, it is important to remind you that supplements will not fix your gut on their own.
Better results are achieved through a combination of a healthy diet, mindset shifts, movement, AND then dietary supplements to piece it all together.
Gut healing can take a long time, so don’t feel discouraged if something seems to not be “working.”
None of these are easy fixes and it requires time to let your body heal.
Good thing you are on the right track!
If you liked this post on the best supplements for beginners, you might also enjoy:
- How to Build a Healthy Mucosal Barrier
- Best Organic Low-FODMAP Vegan Protein Powder
- 3 Ways to Know Your Leaky Gut is Healing
Xox,
SKH
Janie Greene is
