.png)
4 hours ago
1
The emerging evidence of how our gut microbiomes influence our overall health has seen a surge in interest in how to achieve a healthy gut.
Perhaps nowhere is that interest more manifest than TikTok’s obsession – the hashtags #guttok and #guthealth show endless videos of influencers promising ways you can “eliminate bloating!” or “heal your gut”.
Those solutions often offer quick fixes, from olive oil to ginger shots, curcumin supplements (also known as turmeric supplements), prebiotic and probiotic tablets, and kombucha.
There have also been online fads such as the “internal shower drink” (combining water, chia seeds and lemon juice) and the candida diet which eliminates high sugar fruits in the name of gut health. But does any of it actually help?
What do we know about the gut microbiome?
Dr Saman Khalesi, head of course for nutrition at the Central Queensland University, says there are no quick fixes to a healthy gut, but what online content often misses is the important role fibre plays in contributing to the growth of healthy gut bacteria.
Of the trillions of microorganisms that live in our gastrointestinal tract (more commonly known as our gut), some of these bacteria are helpful and some are not. A balanced gut flora contains more of those beneficial bacteria and yeasts compared with the harmful ones.
In order for the good bacteria in the gut to survive, they need to be fed mostly on the dietary fibres which come from complex carbohydrates from foods such as cereals, wholemeal grains, fruits and vegetables, Khalesi says. Refined carbohydrates – such as those in ultra-processed foods – tend to be absorbed quickly and don’t reach the colon for the microorganisms to feast on.
Dietary fibres that feed good bacteria of the gut are also commercially known as prebiotics, while probiotics refer to the live bacteria that are beneficial for us. Fermented foods such as kimchi and yoghurt can directly provide extra live bacterias to the gut, but their benefit is dependent on having the dietary fibres which create the environment for those bacteria to produce benefits.
While supplements for both exist, Khalesi says it is better to get them naturally through a healthy varied diet, except in cases where people take antibiotics after an infection, have chronic disease affecting their gut balance (such as inflammatory bowel disease and constipation) or have poor general dietary intake.
In healthy people who maintain a balanced diet and lifestyle, there is little evidence for probiotic supplements.
So how do these online trends stack up?
Professor Rajaraman Eri from RMIT says viral trends such as the internal shower drink could be beneficial because chia seeds contain fibre. The dietary fibre of most Australians is “extremely lacking – we don’t even consume half of what is required,” Eri says.
However Eri says it’s important people have a combination of fibres from different food sources, which will help improve gut health over a period of time. “It is not going to improve overnight.”
The microbiome is extremely individual and while for some people improving their diet can improve their gut microbiome in two weeks, for some people it will take a year, he says.
When it comes to the candida diet, which aims to decrease the common candida bacteria by eliminating added sugar as well as high-sugar fruits, gluten, alcohol and some dairy products, Eri says for healthy people there is no need to be worried about candida because it is part of the microbiota, which can be controlled by the healthy bacteria when the gut is in balance.
However Eri says eliminating added sugars and ultra-processed foods (which the candida diet recommends) is part of good nutrition. Following that generalised advice promotes good gut health, as bad bacteria in the gut feed on sugar while ultra-processed foods often deprive the gut of fibre.
I think I have a gut condition - what should I do?
Dr Emma Halmos, a practising dietitian and senior research fellow at Monash University, says many gut symptoms are normal and simply our body’s way of giving us cues, for example to stop eating if we’ve overindulged. However, when people experience symptoms that prevent them from leaving the house (unless they’ve put their body under pressure by, say, eating a 10-course meal or running a marathon), Halmos says people should visit a doctor.
It is very important people don’t self-diagnose because these nonspecific symptoms – such as bloating, abdominal pain or changes in bowel motions – could be caused by a variety of conditions, she says. It could be a new classification known as DGBI which stands for disorders of gut brain interaction, the most common being irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or organic diseases that cause inflammation such as coeliac, or even gynaecological issues.
For specific conditions there are often very effective dietary therapies, for example, a low-Fodmap diet for those with IBS, Halmos says.
The take-home message
No matter what advice is being promoted on social media, Halmos says the bottom line is “your background diet matters”.
A lot of the messages around gut health online are fuelled by the weight-loss industry, particularly “anti-inflammatory and inflammatory”, which Halmos describes as “buzzwords … often used incorrectly”.
Most of us don’t have inflammation of the gut – active inflammation includes coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, Halmos says.
So if you’re after good gut health, before reaching for a supplement or trying a fad, think about consulting a health professional or including more fibre in your diet first.
The good news is it doesn’t just have to be all beans and bran flakes – dietary fibre exists in nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, and the more diverse your diet, the better for your gut.
-
Natasha May is Guardian Australia’s health reporter
-
Antiviral is a fortnightly column that interrogates the evidence behind the health headlines and factchecks popular wellness claims.
