Why is gut health gaining ground on TikTok?

Every few months, regularly, TikTok is flooded with hundreds of videos promising tips and tricks to “fix” your gut. In March, influencers posted photos of aloe vera juice: “My digestive system, you mean my gut health? It’s never been better,” one of them spilled in a video that received 1 million likes and which shows her holding a little purple bottle. of the drink.

Another, “oliveoilqueen”, in a video viewed more than 3.5 million times, defended the habit of drinking olive oil daily, saying it cleared her skin, reduced her menstrual cramps and eliminated her frequent bloating. Videos tagged #guttok have received nearly 400 million hits. They’re loaded with suggestions on cucumber and ginger juice, boiled apples, having bone broth in the morning and creamy sweet potato soups in the evening.

According to gastroenterologists, there is no scientific data that proves whether any of these supposed solutions actually benefit digestive functions. Some substances that are said to promote gut health, such as coconut oil, have a high fat content that can loosen stools and irritate the stomach, said nutritionist Beth Czerwony of the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition.

Others, such as aloe vera juice, can cause diarrhea in some people. And because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) generally does not regulate dietary supplements, gastroenterologists are reluctant to recommend these influencer-promoted powders, pills and products.

“If someone claims to have found something that will revolutionize gut health right away, it’s good to be skeptical,” recommended Justin Sonnenburg, professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University. His studies instead point to the value of long-term habits that can benefit the gut. These are habits that rarely go viral or even reverberate on social media.

How gut health became a topic on social media

The online obsession with gut health is just one example of self-transformational content, said Stephanie Alice Baker, a senior professor of sociology at City, University of London, who studies the culture of online wellness.

“What we see is a tendency toward self-optimization.” The most popular videos tagged with #guttok (Intestine Tok) tend to include “before” and “after” photos, showing bloated abdomens revealed by a cropped top that turn into toned tummies in “after” images. In a culture that sometimes rejects mentions of dieting or weight loss, she said, presenting these bodily changes in the context of a topic like gut health might be more palatable to an influencer’s audience.

And, Baker said, talking about the gut also fosters an inherent intimacy. Authenticity is something that appeals to an audience, and it would be difficult to talk about anything more personal than bowel function.

“This is what people mean when they talk about gut health,” said gastroenterologist Rabia de Latour of NYU Langone Health. “They want to give the thing a cute name, but they’re really talking about pooping.”

How do you know if your gut health is not good?

Evidence suggests that health conditions linked to the gut, especially irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), have been on the rise in recent decades, Sonnenburg said, something he attributes to increased consumption of processed and packaged foods. A global survey published in 2021 of more than 73,000 adults in 33 countries found that more than 40% of respondents suffered from gastrointestinal problems such as IBS or constipation.

Chronic, unexplained abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea are all signs of poor gut health, experts said. People with poor bowels may also feel lethargic, with little energy.

Latour recommends that if you are concerned about your bowels, pay attention to the consistency of your stool; the ideal is that they are soft, smooth and sausage-shaped. The Bristol Fecal Table, a medical classification that groups stool into seven groups, can help you determine if your stool is healthy.

Gut health can have long-term health consequences, doctors said. The gut is linked to heart and immune system health, and emerging research is examining the links between gut flora and neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease, said assistant professor Reezwana Chowdhury of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

For her, problems with the gut can be indicative of a bigger health problem, and people who have gastrointestinal symptoms like abdominal pain or chronic diarrhea should see a doctor.

What can you do to improve your gut health?

Eat more fiber. Two types of fiber can benefit the gut: soluble fibers — the viscous fibers contained in foods like oatmeal and apple peels — and insoluble fibers, which act as laxatives, helping to push food through the digestive system. Nuts, chestnuts, whole grains, beans and pulses can be good sources of insoluble fiber, Czerwony said. But be careful — don’t introduce a lot of fiber into your diet too quickly. Experts say it’s best to make any dietary changes gradually, over several weeks.

Limit your intake of processed foods. Sonnenburg explained that emulsifiers that stabilize packaged foods can erode the intestinal mucosal barrier, and artificial sweeteners in many processed products can promote the multiplication of harmful gut microbes. Gut bacteria can quickly convert simple sugars and starches into gas, causing bloating. That means fast foods and processed foods — products that Sonnenberg defines as including ingredients “that our grandmothers wouldn’t recognize as food,” such as chemical additives — can contribute to poor gut health. But, he said, the gut microbiome is quite resilient. An occasional ice cream or processed snack won’t devastate your gut health.

​Opt for fermented foods. Sonnenburg published a study in August showing that fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut and kombucha promote greater diversity of gut bacteria. Their research has shown that people who consume six servings of processed foods a day reap these benefits. It would be the equivalent of consuming a cup of yogurt, a 450 ml bottle of kombucha and a cup of kimchi a day. Previous research has linked high levels of gut microbiome diversity to lower rates of obesity, diabetes and other health problems.

Reduce your stress levels. There is a strong link between the gut and the brain, according to Czerwony. “If you’re stressed and you’re not sleeping well, you may have gastrointestinal symptoms and think it’s because of your diet. But it could be linked to your lifestyle,” she said. Adequate levels of sleep, hydration and exercise also influence gut health. Even a little physical activity can already benefit digestion. “If you’re feeling lethargic and bloated, go for a walk,” recommended the nutritionist.

^{Translation by Clara Allain}