Dr Karan Rajan, an NHS surgeon and clinical lecturer at Imperial College, London and Sunderland University, keeps sharing nutritional tips on his Instagram page – ‘drkaranrajan’. Dr Karan Rajan, a day back, addressed the importance of including natural elements in the diet to boost protein intake, as well as improve gut health. The doctor referred to a short video of a man consuming 20 eggs for his daily protein intake, and said that there’s a possibility that we can improve protein intake and also boost gut health.

Dr Karan Rajan further noted down a few food items that can help us hit the daily protein intake, boost production of beneficial bacteria in the gut and reduce gut inflammation.

Nutritional yeast:

In the video, Dr Karan Rajan said that nutritional yeasts are loaded with high protein. Two tablespoon of nutritional yeast contains 8 grams of protein. Nutritional yeast also contains a type of probiotic fibre that's highly fermentable, known as beta-glucans. This can lead to more production of anti-inflammatory compounds in the gut. Nutritional yeast is loaded with Vitamin B that can support the growth of cells in the gut lining. For boosting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, add it to soup, salad or pasta.

Greek yoghurt:

Dr Karan Rajan suggested that we should swap regular yoghurt in the diet with the healthier alternative. Greek yoghurt is strained and contain twice the amount of protein as regular yoghurt. One cup of Greek yoghurt has about 15-20 grams of protein. It is also loaded with live cultures and natural probiotics that can boost bacterial growth in the gut and improve digestion.

Edamame beans:

Edamame beans, when cooked, contains 18 grams of protein in just one cup. It is also loaded with probiotic fibers like galacto-oligosaccharides and resistant starches. These compounds help in promoting the growth of bacteria like bifidobacteria, contributing to a healthy gut environment. edamame beans are also a rich source of isoflavones; a type of antioxidant that helps in reducing inflammation.

Importance of dietary diversity:

Dr Karan Rajan, in a comment on his own video, busted the myth that we can get our daily protein intake only from non-vegetarian food items. “Protein sources don’t have to be meat or bust. Nutrition does not need to be binary…mixing up your diet and getting a diversity of nutrients is never a bad thing,” wrote the doctor.

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