Understanding and Improving Gut Health and Digestion

December 10, 2025

Happy asian woman eating cereals in winter in the kitchen at home

Your digestive system is home to a collection of bacteria, fungi and viruses called the gut microbiome. A healthy gut microbiome helps your digestive system break food down, absorb helpful nutrients and remove waste. While you may not worry about your gut health and digestion, it may affect your overall health.

“There’s a lot of interesting literature that’s coming out now about how a healthy gut microbiome can sometimes be reflective of other health issues,” says Dr. Carolyn Newberry, gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. “I think there’s a strong link between health and the gut.”

The Impact of Gut Health and Digestion

Dr. Newberry admits that there is much to learn about gut health and digestion’s effect on health. However, the American Medical Association states that poor digestive health can lead to a variety of health conditions.

These include:

Having a diverse range of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract is typically a sign of a healthy gut microbiome. Lifestyle choices, diet, and even certain medications can reduce beneficial bacteria, increase bad bacteria, or decrease the microbiome’s diversity. If this happens, you may experience gas, bloating or other unwanted symptoms.

Poor gut health can also affect your immune system and increase your risk for diabetes, celiac disease and other chronic diseases.

Steps to Improve Gut Health and Digestion

With so much at stake, it’s important to maintain a healthy microbiome. Dr. Newberry offers a few steps for improving gut health and digestion.

Drink more water. Your gut microbiome relies on having plenty of water. Aim for between 91 and 125 fluid ounces of water (approximately 8–10 glasses) per day.
Eat healthily. A high-fiber, Mediterranean-style diet is considered one of the healthiest. You’ll eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, while limiting processed foods.
Feed your gut biome. Probiotics are bacteria that help maintain a healthy gut biome. Yogurt is a great source of probiotics. If you have lactose intolerance, consider trying kimchi or kombucha as dairy-free alternatives.
Get plenty of good sleep. A lack of sleep can lead to poor gut health. Most adults need between seven and nine hours of good sleep every night.

“A lot of the advice for good gut health is not very sexy,” Dr. Newberry says. “It’s not a supplement or some fancy routine that you're doing in a particular way. It's really just getting back to the basics.”

Conclusion

The effects of gut health and digestion reach well beyond the small intestine and large intestine. They can help or harm many aspects of your health.

Poor digestive health can affect your mental health, stomach and immune system.
Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome starts with a balanced lifestyle, including a diet rich in beneficial foods and avoidance of unhealthy ones.
Along with eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, you can improve your gut health by getting plenty of sleep and drinking more water.

Want help maintaining your gut and digestive health? Find a doctor at Weill Cornell Medicine today to get started.