More than a TikTok Trend: How to Actually Heal your Microbiome

Growing up, I have been known to have the worst diet. To be honest, it's hard when there is a Chick-Fil-A every 5 miles in the south. However, as I grew into adulthood - my diet eventually impacted me and I found myself with the worst stomach issues imaginable. Once entering college, my health became a very important facet of myself. I mean, you're only given one very important and amazing body, might as well treat it as such! Once taking Microbiology with Dr. Lorraine Cramer at UNC, I was able to gauge exactly how important a good diet is in keeping our microbiome healthy, and how a truly healthy microbiome impacts our lives. Throughout this article, I am going to delve into how you can maximize your microbiome health through your diet!

Some may owe it to TikTok trends, others may owe it to growing concerns of nationwide obesity, but the term healing your gut has become wildly popular in American mainstream media. First off, it is important to confront the questions as to whether or not your microbiome is in a healthy or unhealthy state and this often can be concluded through if one experiences regular irritable bowel symptoms, such as bloating, vomiting, and chaotic fecal schedules. Bloating after a large meal is normal, however, it is not normal if one experiences it everyday. Moreover, it is important to know how vital a healthy microbiome is, as it can affect ones physical, hormonal, and even mental state. Dr. William Chey, a professor of gastroenterology and nutritional sciences at Michigan Medicine, explains in the 2023 New York Times article, How Healthy is Your Gut Microbiome?, "Some human studies have also shown that taking certain gut bacteria as probiotic supplements may improve anxiety and depression, but it’s too early to recommend probiotics to improve mental health."

Once one has determined the state of their microbiome, now they can create a plan of action. First off, it is impertinent to cut off a diet with a large amount of sugar and alcohol in it. In fact, if one finds themselves consuming a large amount of sugar daily, they may slowly become reliant and addicted to it. Dr. Lori Chang, associate director of Clinical Nutrition at MD Anderson, states in MD Anderson's official guide to healing your gut, How to Improve your Gut Health, "It's all about balance...Organisms that like to feed off sugar can communicate to your brain to eat more sugar, and sometimes this communication can override logic.” This does not mean to cut off all sugars completely, but rather to learn the art of balance and creating a more plentiful diet, filled with foods of all categories - with more natural, fibrous foods being the majority.

Women's Magazine Cosmopolitan pointed out the fact that #GutTok has a total of 606 million views, exposing the fact that this generation is set in healing their guts! The article contributes chewing ones food completely, proper fiber intake, and correct fruit and vegetable intake as major factors in healing ones diet - I mean, you are what you eat! In the article, Dr. Damianos of Yale School of Medicine, ensures that a more mindful approach to what your body is consuming is the best way to heal your gut. Damianos goes on to say that certain companies are now taking advantage of this new health craze - which could ultimately hurt your gut in irreversible ways, "You can't just pick any probiotic off the shelf. There are just so many supplements out there that have no clinical data to support their use. Anything that claims it will ‘cure’ your bloating or, yes, even ‘heal’ your gut is most likely trying to take advantage of you.” With this in mind, don't let TikTok be your only guide to healing your gut health, ultimately it is very important to consult a licensed nutritionist who should be able to set your path straight to a life without bloating and discomfort!