You’ve probably heard the term gut health, gut microbiome, or gut bacteria in the last year. But what are these things? Do they actually affect your overall wellbeing? Keep reading to find out whether gut health is all it claims to be or if it’s just another health fad.

Why is Gut Health Important?

During healthy digestion, food is broken down in the gut and nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. When experiencing issues with gut health, this process doesn’t happen as effectively. When this process is negatively affected, you can have an upset stomach, unintentional weight loss or gain, migraines, mood swings, and you can even feel more tired.

What are Signs of a Healthy Gut?

A healthy gut looks a little different for everyone, especially those with digestive issues such as inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s Disease, or Ulcerative Colitis. Below we’ve listed several guidelines for a healthy gut, but you should talk with your doctor about what a healthy gut looks like if you suffer from digestives diseases.

If you have a healthy gut, you should:

• Have regular bowel movements
  • 1 – 2 times daily
  • Easy to pass, well-formed
• Be free of rectal symptoms
  • E.g., hemorrhoids
• Be free of abdominal symptoms
  • E.g., gas, bloating, abdominal pain

What are Signs of an Unhealthy Gut?

• Upset stomach
  • E.g., gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain
• Fatigue
• Unintentional weight changes
• Skin irritation
• Allergies
• Autoimmune conditions

What Can be Done to Improve Gut Health?

We’ve listed some general tips to improve gut health below, but for the most accurate tips for your body, check in with your doctor. They know your medical history and can help determine how much intervention is needed for a healthy gut.

• Eating a balanced diet that is rich in fiber will improve gut health. Gradually increase your servings of vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, and legumes to give your gut time to adjust.
• Try more fermented foods that contain good bacteria, such as kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and yogurt.
• Digestion begins in the mouth, so make sure you chew your food well. By having food properly broken down before it reaches your stomach, your digestive system will have an easier time doing its job.
• Regularly take time to destress.
• Exercise regularly to help regular bowel habits.

Is Gut Health Just Another Fad?

According to an interview with James Kinross, a microbiome scientist at Imperial College London, “the gut microbiome is the most important scientific discovery for human healthcare in recent decade.” While scientists don’t know quite how the gut microbiome functions yet, the basic principle is “if you look after this vital organ, it will look after you.”

Gut health is quickly gaining traction as the next big health fad, but it does seem to have a significant effect on our bodies, according to researchers. To learn more about the current state of gut health, read this article by Johns Hopkins.