Emerging evidence shows that our gut’s resident microorganisms are important not only for processing and absorbing dietary nutrients and training our immune system, but also affecting our risk of obesity, dementia, and some gastrointestinal diseases. However, mainstream media and online information on dietary interventions for maintaining a microbiome in good shape is not always supported by sound science and this can have a damaging effect on patients struggling with gastrointestinal conditions1,2.
In order to provide easy-to-understand science-based information that can guide you on how to improve or maintain your gut and its harmless microorganisms, Kristina Campbell has recently published a book called “Gut Health for Dummies”, which is available in English, with a French edition forthcoming3. Kristina Campbell is a science writer who has spent the past decade covering the latest research on the gut microbiome and diet for audiences of all kinds around the world. We asked her some questions about the book.
Whether you are interested in learning about evidence-informed ways to maintain gut health or suffer from digestive symptoms, this book will help you proactively manage your gut health at every age.
What prompted you to write this book on a subject on which there is a constant flow of popular books?
The seed for this book was planted nearly 20 years ago when I was suffering from recurring gut symptoms. My doctor wasn’t able to offer any treatment solutions and I spent far too much time and money trying various diets and supplements that I thought would help me. It was a long journey toward gut health by trial and error. With this book I wanted to create the resource I wished I’d had during my gut health struggles – something that clearly explains the scientific concepts and which types of interventions are backed by evidence.
Over the past several years, gut health has finally reached the level of broad awareness among the general public that justifies a Dummies guide, and I was thrilled to be able to take on this topic.
Gut health, loosely defined by the absence of gut symptoms and an optimal gut microbiome, is everywhere. What are the signs of a healthy gut? Are particular alarm features worth discussing further with a healthcare practitioner?
One day in the future, doctors may have an objective measure of exactly what makes a healthy gut, but so far this doesn’t exist. What they know so far are some general rules that apply to your ecosystem of gut microbes: it’s good to have a high diversity of gut microbes, as well as a more resilient gut microbial community.
With the current state of the art, a doctor cannot order a test that tells you whether your gut microbiome is diverse or resilient enough to support your optimal health. But of course if you have digestive symptoms that are troubling you, regardless of the state of your gut microbiome, you shouldn’t hesitate to discuss them with a healthcare practitioner.
The third part of your book is devoted to optimizing your gut health. What principles should guide a gut-friendly diet? And what to avoid for keeping the gut microbiome healthy?
Yes, I took all the information from the literature and from the experts I consult regularly, and came up with 5 evidence-based principles for a gut-friendly diet. In short, they are:
- Focusing on fiber
- Making it fermented
- The more microbes, the merrier
- Balancing fats
- Saying adios to additives
Some of these principles overlap, and for the most part they’re very easy to put into practice. Following these principles may not be 100% effective in preventing gut health problems, but it’ll provide your gut with proper nourishment.
People with gastrointestinal conditions (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome) usually follow restricted diets with potential negative effects on the gut microbiome. Can you share some tips for improving gut health if a person is on a special diet?
Yes, if someone is on a special diet such as low-FODMAP for therapeutic reasons, the goal is to get rid of the symptoms but the diet may not provide the best nourishment to the variety of microbes living in the gut. Such a diet should always be short-term, with a plan to introduce more variety in the diet gradually over time (typically after six weeks). While someone is following a special diet, they can aim to get as much diversity as possible within the parameters of that diet. One easy way to do this is to add multiple herbs and spices that are allowable within the diet – for example, adding parsley, chives, and dill on a salad. (I’m digging further into this topic in my next book, IBS For Dummies.) In a best case scenario before adopting this kind of diet you’d see a dietitian who can help you understand the variety of foods that are safe for your diet and how they fit into your lifestyle.
Beyond diet, what other evidence-based ways can improve and maintain gut health?
I appreciate this question because I know when I was suffering from gut health problems I tended to be fixated on diet as the solution to all of my problems. But after years of trying to resolve my symptoms, I came to understand that the solution involved more than just my diet. Factors such as exercise and stress levels are integral to gut health, and these need to be addressed before you can achieve optimal health.
What are the top 3 gut health and microbiome myths and why are they untrue?
One of the chapters in the book addresses 10 myths about gut health. These myths are repeated over and over online and in popular media. My top 3 are:
- All beneficial microbes are probiotics. In fact, the microbes in fermented foods don’t always qualify as probiotics because they are unknown types of microbes in unknown amounts, and they haven’t been tested and shown to give you a health benefit.
- Prebiotics are the same as fiber. In truth, scientists make a distinction between general dietary fiber and special prebiotic fibers, because prebiotics give you benefits specifically through the gut microbiome. (And also, not all prebiotics are forms of fiber.)
- Gut microbiome tests can give you knowledge on how to shape your diet for better gut health. The science is simply not advanced enough to do this yet. You can spend your money on these tests and give your data to the testing company, but no evidence exists that you’ll get personal benefits from the gut microbiome test recommendations.
Gut health and microbiome science is nowadays exploited to market unproven products. How can a non-expert person identify reliable gut health information? Which nuances should be taken into account when reading content for the general public on gut health and the microbiome?
If you’re looking for reliable information about gut health, here’s a good mantra: show me the science. That is, try to dig up proof that at least one human study has been done on the product and shown it to be effective. This concept is so important that I devote a whole chapter of the book to helping people avoid wasting their money on unproven products and tests.
One thing to pay attention to when reading about gut health and the microbiome is the use of anecdotes. Social media influencers love to share stories about how a product helped them personally, which can seem quite convincing. But no anecdote is as powerful as scientific data when it comes to proof that something really works. So it’s worthwhile seeking out the scientific data on a product, even though it may not catch your attention as much as an anecdote.
References:
- Marcon AR, Turvey S, Caulfield T. ‘Gut health’ and the microbiome in the popular press: a content analysis. BMJ Open. 2021; 11(7):e052446. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052446.
- Prados-Bo A, Rabassa M, Bosch M, et al. Online information in Spanish on probiotics, yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, fibre and prebiotics: an analysis of the quality of information and the certainty of the evidence supporting health claims. BMJ Open. 2022; 12(8):e063316. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063316.
