8 best supplements to support your gut health in the summer

When it comes to health, one of the most important organs that often gets overlooked is the gut. In fact, digestive disorders stemming from the gut account for more than 10% of GPs’ work! 

Whether it’s you, a family member or even your next-door neighbour likely visits a doctor to discuss their gut health and stomach. One of the most popular times of year for finding support for the gut is the summer months.

High temperatures, fatigue, flare-ups of preexisting conditions and inconsistent eating from social gatherings can make a healthy stomach go astray. All of these are manageable if you take the right gut health supplements.

Learn what vitamin is best for gut health and supplements to support your stomach this summer. 

Gut health and stomach explained.

Before diving in with our recommendations, let’s share a little bit about the gut first. The gut is commonly called the “gut microbiome”. On average, each person has around 200 bacteria, viruses and fungi inside the digestive tract. Some can be healthy for your gut, and others are extremely harmful.

Depending on the balance of bacteria, your gut could experience symptoms throughout the year (if not managed), such as: 

• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Bloating
• Gas
• Sleep disturbances 
• Weight loss
• Food intolerances
• Autoimmune conditions

So, a healthy gut means experiencing none of these or, as little as possible, having a healthy balance of bacteria. 

What’s the link with gut health in summer?

Gut health in summer is a popular topic between doctors and health-conscious individuals as often imbalances can be easily triggered. Part of the reason for this is:

Dehydration

The higher temperatures in summer can lead to dehydration, which can cause you to lose a lot of fluids through sweat and urination. This can disrupt your bowel movements, make you constipated, have diarrhoea or experience other digestive issues.

Inconsistent eating 

One major summer habit that influences the gastrointestinal health of many is inconsistent eating habits and changes to diet. Whether it’s consuming more summer cocktails, unhealthy foods, snacking on picnic-type food at irregular times, or anything else, these summer eating patterns can trigger flare-ups of the gut. Often, many experience digestive issues such as acid reflux and heartburn.

Food spoilage 

In the summer, whether in the UK or elsewhere, there’s an increased risk of exposure to foodborne illnesses. Increased temperatures can cause food to become spoiled quickly and trigger the growth of bad bacteria, which can negatively impact gut health. 

Stress on the digestive system 

Travel, vaccinations, a rise in outdoor exercise and activities, and more can stress your digestive system, affecting the gut. Moreover, when the temperature rises, blood is diverted to the skin to cool down. This can lead to a decrease in blood flow in your digestive system, which can then slow down the digestive process, causing indigestion, gas, bloating, and discomfort. 

What vitamin is best for gut health in summer? 

When talking about gut health and stomach in the summer, there’s no single vitamin or mineral you can pinpoint to help your gastrointestinal system. Instead, try focusing on having more of the following: 

Vitamin C

The benefits of vitamin C are well known; it helps boost your immune system, enhances wound healing, is an antioxidant, helps absorb iron and more. But what about its role in the gut? Vitamin C boosts collagen production, essential for maintaining the structure of your gut lining. Collagen plays an important role in producing an antioxidant called glutathione, which helps protect your gut from inflammation and oxidative stress. 

Try Nutra-C SR, a supplement that supports your immune system, reduces tiredness and fatigue, and supports iron absorption, allowing your gut microbes to transport oxygen. 

Vitamin D

Another essential vitamin for gut health in the summer is vitamin D. While the best way to obtain this vitamin is via sunlight, supplementation might be necessary if you can’t. This vitamin helps maintain the integrity of the gut mucosal barrier, lowering the risk of permeability of cells covering your skin (epithelial cells) and preventing pathogens from invading your gut.

Try: Nutra D3 is a high-strength vitamin D tablet that supports cell division, growth and repair and acts as a natural defence against harmful bacteria. 

Magnesium

Magnesium is an important mineral that helps activate and regulate the digestive enzymes in your body. It helps the enzymes break food down in the stomach and intestines. If you have low magnesium levels, you may face risks of inhibited enzyme function, poor digestion, difficulty with nutrient absorption and gut issues. 

This mineral helps sustain gut motility and facilitate peristalsis, a movement that allows your gut to produce wave-like contractions that push food through your digestive tract. If you don’t have sufficient magnesium, you could be at risk of constipation, bloating, irregular bowel movements, and more. 

Try: NutraMag, a magnesium citrate tablet that includes Vitamins B3, B6, B12, D3, Zinc, and Boron. It helps contribute to the normal functioning of your nervous system. 

Zinc

Zinc is a mineral that can soothe your digestive system. It helps repair the cells of your intestinal tract, preventing leaky gut and pathogens from invading. Zinc also works as a catalyst for immune cells, which help fight inflammation and infection in your gut. This mineral modulates your immune system, helping reduce inflammatory responses. 

Try: Nutra Zinc Complex, a high-strength trace mineral supplement that supports the function of your immune system, bones, and hair and is high in antioxidants. 

Try:Nutra Trim, a supplement that includes zinc, specifically formulated to manage your metabolism and aid digestion. 

Vitamin B 

B vitamins play a major role in your immunity and help your gut. Many B vitamins regulate your digestion, and B6, in particular, helps break down the proteins you eat; B7 supports your cholesterol and allows easier processing of carbohydrates and fats, essential for inconsistent eating in summer. Vitamins like B5 also help keep your gut barrier intact by protecting the lining. Similarly, low levels of Vitamin B12 may contribute to low mood, leading to gut problems over the summer. 

Try: Nutra B50 Complex, a high-strength supplement containing Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, and C, which help support energy metabolism.

Try: NutraLiver, a supplement that contains 25 active ingredients, some of which are B vitamins. NutraLiver helps maintain optimal liver health and balances and comforts your digestive system. 

Try Nutra A-Z

If you’re conscious about your gut health in summer but don’t necessarily show symptoms of stomach upset, try taking Nutra A-Z. This is a multi vitamin which includes 27 nutrients alongside probiotics which are crucial for your gastrointestinal health. With calcium,magnesium, vitamin C, E, iron, zinc, Vitamin B6 ,copper and more playing a protective role on your immune system. 

Gut health in the summer 

To summarise summer is a time you should pay extra attention to your gut health and stomach. With the rise of temperatures, there’s a higher risk of dehydration, food spoilage, indigestion, inconsistent eating and stress on the digestive system. 

In order to maintain a healthy gut, you can try a few things like adding more fibre rich foods and add probiotics to your diet. Alongside exercising regularly and getting enough sleep during this season. 

If you feel you need a little extra support then trying taking gut health supplements. Supplements that include Vitamin C,D, B, magnesium and zinc can help protect the balance of your gut microbiome. 

Looking for more supplements to provide support all year around? Check out our health and wellbeing range here.