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More and more, it may seem that the answer to common health quandaries leads to a single culprit: our guts.<\/p>\n
The gut microbiome \u2013 the ecosystem of bacteria and other tiny organisms that live in our digestive tracts \u2013 has in recent years been linked to a wide range of health issues, including cancer,<\/a> insomnia<\/a>, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, preterm birth<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n That\u2019s prompted a lot of excitement among doctors and scientists seeking to improve people\u2019s wellbeing \u2013 but in most cases, there are still more questions than answers. In the absence of strong evidence, grifters, half-baked trends, and misinformation often fill the void.<\/p>\n Euronews Health spoke with gut health experts to set the record straight. They said there\u2019s no model for a perfectly healthy gut because our microbiomes are all unique, and changes to them aren\u2019t necessarily bad.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the microbiome, it’s very rare that you can give a straight, 100 per cent answer that applies to everyone, because everyone is so different. Simple stories really don’t exist,\u201d Alan Walker, a microbiologist at the University of Aberdeen, told Euronews Health.<\/p>\n Here are five expert tips to sort fact from fiction when it comes to gut health.<\/p>\n At-home tests don\u2019t have all the answers<\/p>\n Many diagnostic tests for gut health are sold over the counter or through expensive private laboratories, and claim they can use a stool sample to identify whether specific foods are good or bad for the buyer. The results are often presented on a scale or colour-coded from green to red.<\/p>\n But \u201csimple indices and indicators are always very misleading,\u201d said Dr Lucas Wauters, a gastroenterologist at University Hospitals Leuven (UZ Leuven) in Belgium.<\/p>\n Wauters told Euronews Health that these tests often have some basis in science, focusing on things such as food intolerance or leaky gut, formally called intestinal permeability. Others can be genuinely useful, such as tests that look for specific bacteria in stool.<\/p>\n However, Wauters said scientists are still studying these concepts in laboratory settings, so at-home tests may rely on thin evidence to make outsized health claims.<\/p>\n A major red flag, he said, is test results that come with recommendations for \u2013 or even links to purchase \u2013 supplements or other products that claim they will \u201ccure\u201d the gut malady.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the claims are put too simply [or are] automatically coupled to a treatment, like a supplement or whatever, then you can call it, or be close to calling it, a scam,\u201d Wauters said.<\/p>\n When it comes to quick fixes, buyer beware<\/p>\n There\u2019s no shortage of supplements, juices, powders, and detoxes that suggest they\u2019ll boost gut health. Before buying, Walker recommends checking whether any of these products have been tested in people and have the evidence to back up their health claims. Most don\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the proof isn’t there, it doesn’t mean it won’t work, but it\u2019s a leap of faith,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Probiotics are more complex than they seem<\/p>\n Probiotics are the \u201cgood\u201d microbes that can support certain aspects of our health, while prebiotics are parts of food that we don\u2019t digest. Instead, they feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut.<\/p>\n Probiotics are thought to restore the natural balance of bacteria in the gut, and are found in fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir, cottage cheese, kimchi, and kombucha.<\/p>\n But there are thousands of different probiotic bacteria and yeasts \u2013 so simply adding probiotic supplements or shakes to your diet may not do much for your gut health.<\/p>\n Walker said he would like to see more rigorous research testing different types of probiotics at various doses and durations to treat specific health issues.<\/p>\n Currently, \u201cif we’re being honest and we look at the level of evidence that those things actually work, overall it’s very patchy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Stay away from DIYs<\/p>\n Faecal transplants \u2013 when a healthy person\u2019s stool is placed into a patient\u2019s colon \u2013 have shown promise to treat recurring infections with bacteria known as Clostridium difficile. That\u2019s prompted research into whether these transplants can be used to treat other medical problems.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s also led to a raft of people trying to do their own faecal transplants at home to treat everything from mental health issues to Lyme disease.<\/p>\n Walker warned that people should leave this procedure to the professionals.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople can be harmed, and we don’t understand the long-term consequences,\u201d he said. \u201cThis should never be done outside of clinical recommendations\u201d.<\/p>\n When in doubt, stick with the tried and true<\/p>\n At the end of the day, a healthy, balanced diet is one of the best things we can do for our gut health, Wauters and Walker said. Drink lots of water, limit soda and alcohol consumption, and get enough fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n