We asked resident Gastroenterology Dietitian Dr Sammie Gill to help bust some common gut-health myths and set the record straight for once and all.
Gluten is bad for you
Unless you have coeliac disease, you should not avoid gluten. Gluten is present in wholegrains (wheat, rye and barley) and it’s well known that wholegrains are important for gut health and overall health. A very small number of people may have a form of gluten intolerance (known as non-coeliac gluten sensitivity), but research has shown that most people who experience gut symptoms with gluten-containing foods are sensitive to the fructans (a type of FODMAP) in these foods, not the gluten.
All probiotics are the same
It’s important to choose a probiotic that offers the specific benefit you’re seeking - is it for constipation? To take during a course of antibiotics? To reduce traveller’s diarrhoea on holiday? Be prescriptive in your approach. Contact the probiotic manufacturer and ask for links to their published research.
Bone broth is good for gut healing
There is zero evidence showing that bone broth ‘heals’ the gut. Some people with gut symptoms may report improvements with bone broth - this is most likely because the overall fibre load is reduced and it’s giving your gut a break. Remember plant-based foods support gut health so restricting long-term is not a good idea.
Pooing every day is normal
Pooing varies hugely from person to person. Anything from 3 times per day to 3 times per week is considered normal. Importantly, know what is normal for you and don’t compare yourself to others. Poo should also be soft, bulky and easy to pass.
Gut microbiome testing can diagnose health conditions
While some gut microbes have been linked with certain health conditions, it’s far too early to use the gut microbiome as a tool for diagnosing health conditions. If you’re curious about what’s happening in your gut, gut microbiome testing can tell you which microbes are living there and possibly what they’re doing (e.g. what compounds they are producing).
Bloating is only triggered by food
There are many triggers for bloating. Beyond food, bloating can be triggered by things like stress, eating behaviour (e.g. how quickly you eat and how many times you chew your food), hormones, tight clothes, certain medications, lack of movement, airplane travel, fizzy drinks, chewing gum, and constipation. Continuous and/or painful bloating can be a sign of an underlying health condition.
To learn more about other gut health topics, visit Symprove’s Gut Hub.
Sources
Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The Lancet. (2019). Link.
