Gut health has become one of social media’s favourite buzzwords.
From drinking chia seed water first thing in the morning to adding sea moss gel to smoothies and sipping bone broth to “heal” your gut, these products are credited with everything from better moods to more energy.
But behind the viral foods, scientists say the reality is more complicated - especially as it’s a growing field with new evidence emerging almost every day.
While the gut microbiome does play a crucial role in our wellbeing, evidence for many of these fixes is thin and for most healthy people, obsessing over gut “healing” may be unnecessary.
What is the gut microbiome?
BBC science broadcaster Caroline Steel describes the gut as the entire digestive tract, from mouth to anus.
Inside it lives the gut microbiome - trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi that play a crucial role in how the body functions and “impacts your mental and physical health”.
Steel says our “gut microbiome is more unique than our fingerprint” and a healthy microbiome is linked to better energy extraction from food, blood sugar regulation and immune defence.
Research also suggests associations between gut health and mental wellbeing, including lower anxiety and improved mood.
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Thanks for the post, Jamie! Honestly, most people are just looking for a "magic fix" when really they just need to stop eating processed junk and stick with it.