Maintaining Gut Flora

In order to gain all the health benefits associated with gut bacteria especially those related to brain function, the population of gut bacteria should be maintained and protected from disturbances.

First, a balanced and healthy diet should be adopted. Traditional diets such as Japanese and Mediterranean diets are a good example. These diets are characterized by higher intakes of fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, cereals with limited processing, fiber,

fermented foods, and only modest amounts of dairy and lean meats compared to Westernized diets.

Second, dietary fibers occur naturally in fruits, vegetables, leeks, asparagus, chicory, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, onions, wheat, oats, and soybeans, and these fibers are also considered as prebiotics. 

Cryan, J. F., & Dinan, T. G. (2012). Mind-altering microorganisms: the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behaviour. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 13(10), 701-712.