Chia seeds, olive oil and bone broth: Viral gut health foods dey really work?
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
- Author, Yasmin Rufo
- Role, BBC News
- Read am in 4 mins
Gut health don turn one of di biggest buzzwords for social media.
From drinking chia seed water early for morning, to adding sea moss gel inside smoothies and sipping bone broth to "heal" your gut, pipo dey credit dis products for evritin from beta mood to more energy.
But scientists say di reality behind dis viral foods dey more complicated especially as na growing field wey new evidence dey come out almost every day.
Even though di gut microbiome get important role for our wellbeing, evidence to support many of dis quick fixes still small, and for most healthy people, to dey obsess over gut "healing" fit no really necessary.
Wetin be gut microbiome?
BBC science broadcaster Caroline Steel describe di gut as di entire digestive tract, from mouth to anus.
Na inside di gut microbiome dey live - trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi wey dey play a crucial role in how di body dey function and wey dey "impact your mental and physical health".
Steel say our "gut microbiome dey more unique dan our fingerprint" and a healthy microbiome dey linked to beta energy extraction from food, blood sugar regulation and immune defence.
Research still show say gut health get connection with mental wellbeing, including lower anxiety and better mood.
Viral foods dey really meet di hype?
Microbiologist Alan Walker and gut health scientist Dr Megan Rossi tok say many trending foods get "small seed of truth," but pipo dey oversell dem like miracle products.
- Chia seed water: Chia seeds rich for fibre, "wey fit feed beneficial gut bacteria and help bowel movement regular," according to Rossi. Walker explain say no single fibre source dey enough on its own bicos different microbes dey feed on different fibres, so variety dey more important pass any one ingredient. "No harm dey if you drink chia seed water," e tok, but e no really get plenty benefit on its own.
- Olive oil shots: Walker explain say olive oil dey widely known for anti-inflammatory benefits, e dey good for heart and fit help wit constipation. But little evidence dey show say if you drink am as concentrated "shot," e go specifically boost di microbiome. "No meaningful difference dey between drinking am straight and adding am to your food," Walker tok.
- Sea moss gel: Sea moss gel, one type of seaweed, don become popular bicos e get fibre plus some vitamins and minerals. But Rossi tok say "very little scientific evidence dey support say e dey improve di gut microbiome or digestive function." She warn especially against high doses, particularly for pipo wey get inflammatory bowel disease. Walker add say one possible downside be say seaweeds fit contain heavy metals and iodine, and if person take too much, e fit cause health problems.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
- Bone broth: Bone broth na soup wey dem dey make by boiling animal bones inside water wit sometin acidic (like vinegar) plus herbs or vegetables for at least 24 hours, so di proteins and minerals go comot. E get plenty nutrients and fit be comforting food, but Walker talk say most of di nutrients dey absorbed for di small intestine, while most gut microbes dey live for di large intestine. Dat one mean say little dey reach the microbes demselves. "No strong evidence dey say e get overall beneficial effects for di gut microbiome," e add. Rossi agree, come add say she don see "di negative effect wey e fit get on cholesterol levels if person no remove di saturated fat wey dey float on top."
- Kombucha: Kombucha na fermented tea, and Rossi tok say she be "big fan" of traditional kombucha sake of say e contain natural acids and antioxidant plant compounds wey dey form during fermentation, wey dem don link to health benefits. But just like extra virgin olive oil, no be all kombucha be di same. "Look for floaters, wey be sign say living kombucha culture dey active; check if dem add vinegar di original one no need am because di microbes go produce am demselves; and avoid di sugar-free types wey get added sweeteners, including stevia," she tok.
Steel tok say signs wey fit show say sometin no dey right wit your gut include constant constipation, diarrhoea, too much gas, or persistent stomach pain.
For situations like dis, she explain say e important make pipo seek medical advice instead of turning to extreme elimination diets.
"If you get problem wit your gut, doing sometin like cutting out bread no go heal am."
She emphasize say most pipo no need dramatic diet changes, and "most of us no need to heal our gut bicos if your gut dey healthy, none of dis tins go make difference."
Instead of chasing trends, she tok say some simple tins dey wey pipo fit do na to keep dia gut healthy, like "eating more plants, increasing fibre, and reducing ultra-processed foods."
