gut microbes

Walk down the aisles of many grocery stores and you’re liable to see claims about products that are “good for gut health,” from yogurt and kombucha to supplements and even sodas. But despite its popularity, the phrase can mean different things to different people and lacks a shared scientific definition.

Our diets provide us with the building blocks we need to stay healthy and fight disease. The nutrients in foods and beverages can be tallied up to know if we are getting what our bodies need. Yet what if a nutrient has been overlooked? For instance, friendly microbes in raw and fermented foods have not been measured as part of our diets — until now.