Gut health: weighing up the online tips

Social media is at the forefront of starting and ending trends, and that’s no different for trends in the health space.

The topic of gut health has been hot on TikTok for the past year with many influencers creating their own content based on their ‘gut health journeys’ and how they’ve helped tame their stomach pain or bloating concerns.

However, along with plenty of such content will come myths or false information. Retail Pharmacy Assistants looks at the evidence-based fact and the fiction around gut health tips, and we give our verdict on their merits.

• Avoid yoghurts aimed at strengthening gut health (thumbs down!)

Some online contributors have stated that there’s almost no point in consuming yoghurts that are targeted at gut health.

Yet, plenty of studies show probiotics that are found in foods such as yoghurt can help improve symptoms of digestive issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome and even certain types of diarrhoea.¹

• Take detox shots (thumbs up!) 

One of the most popular trends among gut health influencers is the detox shot, with people usually combining different ingredients for an early morning preparation to promote debloating.

Many foods promote good gut health, including, among many others:²

• Berries.
• Green tea.
• Ginger.
• Celery.
• Papaya.
• Pineapple.
• Turmeric.
• Kiwifruit.

Taking a shot that combines various foods, such as those listed, will benefit gut health greatly but will not solve all issues, so it’s important that if any pain or consistent bloating continues, that the person sees their GP.

• Kombucha helps cure gut concerns (thumbs up! … to a degree) 

Kombucha became a trend many years ago when people realised they could start making their own from the comfort of their homes. We say kombucha helps with gut issues ‘to a degree’ because it contains ingredients that promote positive gut health such as probiotics and antioxidants.³

Kombucha also contains acetic acid, which is created during the fermentation process and kills bacteria.³

However, there are risks to consuming too much kombucha, with experts saying we should avoid homemade kombucha because it can easily be contaminated by the container it’s made in, and it may contain unsafe levels of bacteria and yeast, and will therefore have a negative impact on gut health.⁴

• Manage stress to help gut issues (thumbs up!)

A key tip provided by online contributors is that managing stress levels helps improve an unhealthy gut. While the simple suggestion to ‘be less stressed’ is easier said than done, it’s true that the gut-brain access links emotional and cognitive centres of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions.⁵

There’s evidence to show that psychological stress and depression can promote a gut where bacteria thrives, due to the way we treat our body during these different emotional stages. Gut bacteria releases toxins that can alter behaviour and mood, which shows a clear link between the pair. The gut bacteria may also change the way people respond to stress, and heighten the risk of depression.⁶

Following online trends 

The internet and social media can be great for accessing information. However, everything should be taken with a grain of salt (or ginger shot).

Pharmacy assistants can help with relevant information by brushing up on the basics of gut health and pointing their customers in the right direction for more specific questions, and suggesting a GP visit if the customer is dealing with significant gut issues.

References:

1. Harvard Medical School, 2020. ‘Your complete guide to choosing a yoghurt to meet your needs’.
2. Healthline, 2021. ‘20 foods and drinks that help with bloating’. com/nutrition/foods-that-help-with-bloating
3. Healthline, 2023. ‘8 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Kombucha’. com/nutrition/8-benefits-of-kombucha-tea
4. MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Texas, 2022. ‘What are the benefits of drinking kombucha?.
5. Carabotti M, Scirocco A, Maselli MA, Seven C. ‘The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems’. <itals>Ann Gastroenterol<itals>, 2015; 28 (2): 203-209. nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367209/
6. Madison A, et al, 2019. ‘Stress, depression, diet and the gut microbiota: human-bacteria interactions at the core of psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition’. doi: 1016/j.cobeha.2019.01.011

This feature was originally published in the July issue of RPA e-magazine.