which influencer-promoted gut-health tips are actually good recommendations to follow? and which are myths needing to be de-bunked?
examples: probiotics, fermented foods, meal timing, avoiding dairy/gluten, etc.
70% of world’s population are sensitive to dairy - if you’re feeling digestive discomfort of any kind, it’s definitely real enough to see if eliminating it works
Gluten is a problem for a much smaller population. It’s villified more than it needs to be. At least from what I’ve read so far.
Timing of meals - Looks like most dieticians disagree
Probiotics - not enough research, but it’s worth going through a few different varieties before discarding it outright. At minimum, it’s placebo effect is incredible right now
What you haven’t listed - fiber. Why? Coz for some inexplicable reason, there aren’t enough “influencers” talking about it, and for something that has the MOST research to back it up, I can’t understand why this isn’t spoken about enough. 97% of the US population is deficient in fiber. Let that sink in.
Detox or “gut flushes” is in best case scenario not actually flushing any bacteria or “toxins” from your body. You have a organ for doing that, and it’s pretty good at it. Worst case scenario you actually manage to rinse away your healthy gut bacteria, which can be a part of your immune system, enabling harmfull bacteria to take their place.
Current science doesn’t even understand gut health. Good luck debunking much. There isn’t a ton to debunk with probiotics at least in food and quality supplements. They all have different efficacy levels and different things they can help with. Depends on the person. But I wouldn’t pay mega dollars for any supplements unless they are specific to your needs and you know they work.
Anecdotal, but I had a BAD C-Diff infection a few years ago and I’m still not fully recovered, but the only things that have ever actually helped me are probiotics (bio-k and Dr Hihiro’s), and fermented foods like kimchi and Kefir (dairy). I also can’t have wheat/gluten anymore or else my entire body swells, EXCEPT when I have a cup of kimchi or take a probiotic pill an hour before. Probiotics/ferments have quite literally saved my life and helped rebuild my gut microbiome after the total nuking it took from C-Diff.
Anyone that claims something can “boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and good for overall well-being” but won’t say why immediately pisses me off.
I was gifted some red algae pills when i got covid a tried to find out what they were even for. The only thing i could find was “boosts immune system” but never why or what’s in it that does that.
Myth that probiotics have a direct impact on gut flora. The truth is they’re transient meaning they don’t directly stimulate the gut flora and the strands that you do take don’t stay in the micro biome. Make sure to get your prebiotics everybody if you want healthy gut flora.
The physicians committee is basically the only one I trust at the moment, even certain Ted talks are speculation or theory. Physicians committee is a vegan based channel, but has great information about plant based health. I don’t personally consume veg 24/7 but I do incorporate a larger amount in my diet than previously and it has done wonders for my gut health (IBSD, Acid Reflux).
Avoiding dairy/gluten is not backed by research unless you have very specific issues like celiacs or lactose intolerance. There does seem to be some minor evidence of gluten intolerance in a small subset of people, but there is currently no reliable way to diagnose this. Avoiding gluten generally comes with more risks.
Study of gut microbiome is ongoing and rapidly changing. Although, last I checked the research wasn’t complete enough to really make recommendations about what specific combination of microbes to ingest and how.
I don’t know a ton about what you’re referring to with meal timing. Although, getting proper nutrition probably would outweigh any timing questions.
Gluten craze is a good thing. More gluten free foods available. The reason it statistically only effects a small amount of the population is because the only way to get a positive test is to eat a lot of gluten for extended periods of time for the damage to show in a blood test or endoscopy. If you can’t eat that much gluten due to its effect, or aren’t advised to do this, your test will be negative and you won’t be included in the statistics via diagnosis. If you don’t have damage show up in an endoscopy due to different regions they take samples from not getting any damage, it will be negative. Most people do not know for many years they have it and doctors often do not know which tests or advice before testing to give. They’re quick to diagnose you with anxiety and ibs in 5 minutes tho
Also breakfast is a scam
I think I’ve posted this before, but I’m a huge fan so I’ll post it again.
The Australian Academy of Science did a food based public speaker series last year, and this was their gut health talk:
https://www.science.org.au/news-and-events/events/food-thought-gut-health
I highly recommend checking out their YouTube channel for other awesome, evidence based content.
There are good reasons for all those recommendations if the person recommending doesn’t miss the mark and suggest what’s god for one person is good for everybody. Individualization is at the core of any “rule” of nutrition. What serves my health might kill you, and vice versa. (Or just make you very ill or cause permanent health issues…)
Dairy is a touchy, dairy is a big part of my diet and I find without dairy my stomach acid problems get worse. It actually helps my extremely bad acid reflux and soothes heart, dairy help my gut-health a lot and keeps my bm’s regular.
I think we are simply way to early to decide if something is good or bad, or a myth.
There was a recent study, showing that some sweeteners had short term negative effect on glucose response. But even with that long term the outcome from using sweeteners are way better than the sugar alternative.
> saccharin and sucralose significantly impaired glycemic responses.
>
>https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00919-9?\_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867422009199%3Fshowall%3Dtrue#relatedArticles
The most consistent advice I’ve seen is around fermented foods being good, like Kombucha and Kimchi.
I will say try things and see what works for you. But if you are constantly getting sick, struggling with bowel movements, having constant headaches, and feeling foggy. If you have tried to allot of things and it isn’t working, see a recommended naturopath. Good gut health is not just about fiber or being reactive to particular foods. Most of the time it’s an issue that needs to be tackled in more than one way.
Dairy is great for you, tons of nutrients in it. If you feel discomfort, simply switch to lactose-free milk. Yogurt, cheese, and kefir are usually lower in lactose and most people with a lactose intolerance can enjoy them without issues.Gluten allergies are way less common than the internet makes it seem. Most people can eat gluten without a problem. You would know if you had an issue because a gluten intolerance/celiac disease is rough. It’s not just some bloating. Probiotics are still very new, but I would say there is enough evidence to say that eating probiotic-containing foods is beneficial. Taking a probiotic supplement isn’t necessary, although some people find it helpful for digestive issues.Meal timing really does not matter, nor does fasting.
I don’t know about influencers, but here’s how I solved my gut issues:
EDIT: I enjoy kimchi quite a bit. Not necessarily for the probiotics - I like spicy food.
Very specific viewpoints from influencers (usually with no relevant academic training) usually end up leading straight to the book/online coaching program/supplements they’re shilling for. That should tell you enough about whether they’re sensible options for the long term.
The reality is that most people don’t follow the boring basics of eating well (eating to their energy requirements, minimizing heavily processed stuff, starting with complex carbs and veggies and building up meals from there, drinking water for hydration and anything else just for enjoyment, etc).
I’m confused how if there’s not enough research on if taking probiotics is actually helpful or not, how that fecal implants are supposed to be so helpful. Isn’t that implanting bacteria of the gut that’s in probiotics?
Couldn’t say off the top of my head, but fr just eating more fibrous food or using a fiber supplement is all there is to it if you’re so inclined. All that hullabaloo just sounds like people practically babying their body as if it doesn’t know how to perform its own job.