Ordering food every day? Here’s how it could affect your gut health

For many across the globe, meals begin not in the kitchen, but through smartphones. In just a few clicks, a hot meal will be delivered right to the doorstep, providing a way out of cooking, shopping, and washing dishes.

While food delivery apps offer a convenient solution to the problem of each day, the human digestive system may be affected over time by frequent reliance on them. The luxury of modern times can influence our health without us even noticing it.

Depriving the beneficial bacteria

The human body requires trillions of beneficial bacteria for digestion, vitamin production, and overall good health. These microbes need fibre to survive, which can be found in large quantities in fresh vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and beans. Daily delivery meals can provide fewer of these vital nutrients when they are based mainly on refined flour, processed ingredients, and low-fibre foods.

When a person’s day-to-day diet does not contain fiber that is natural in their food sources, then the beneficial bacteria in the intestines may lose their diversity and activity. In contrast, eating fatty, sugary foods and highly processed foods can result in an unhealthy imbalance of microflora inside the intestines, known as gut dysbiosis. Eventually, this state may lead to problems with digestion in the form of constant bloating, gassiness, and abnormal motility of the bowels.

Eroding the internal shield

Eating out often may also affect the proper functioning of the digestive tract. Many foods found in restaurants tend to have more salt, fat, additives, and preservatives, especially if the food is very processed. Eating such foods on a regular basis may influence the proper functioning of the digestive tract's protective lining.

Hygiene during food preparation, handling, packaging, and delivery is also very important, as poor food handling practices can increase the risk of food contamination and digestive infections. Choosing food from places that follow good hygiene and food safety practices can help reduce the risk. 

Changes in the gut lining may affect its normal barrier function and, in some circumstances, influence interactions between the gut and the immune system. Such dietary patterns have also been associated with inflammatory processes, although the effects can vary from person to person. This may contribute to symptoms such as daily fatigue, brain fog, joint discomfort, and skin flare-ups in some individuals.

Disrupting the internal clock

 In addition to this constant irritation of the body, the timing and quantity creates an imbalance for the inner clock. The meals delivered are sometimes bigger in size and have a higher caloric content compared to normal meals prepared at home, potentially providing higher amounts of sodium, added sugar, and saturated fats. Such big meals can lead to temporary increases in blood sugar and place additional demands on the body to process the meal.

Late-night ordering makes this burden more significant.The digestive system also follows an internal clock that functions on a 24-hour cycle. Eating a heavy meal close to bedtime can interfere with normal digestion and may increase the chances of indigestion and acid reflux.

Reclaiming gut health

Ultimately, the human digestive system benefits from simple, minimally processed, fiber-dense foods. Relying on food delivery as a daily habit may reduce the intake of beneficial microbes’ preferred nutrients, particularly dietary fibre, and may affect normal digestive processes.

Gut rehabilitation does not imply getting rid of food ordering apps completely, but it requires switching takeout back into something occasional instead of something habitual. Consuming healthy meals made from unprocessed foods can help support dietary diversity and adequate fibre intake.

(The author is a clinical dietitian, Apollo Spectra, Bengaluru)

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK