“The trillions of microscopic organisms that live inside your digestive tract – your gut microbiome – may hold the key to many health conditions, such as obesity, inflammation and cancers, research suggests. In response, several start-ups have begun to offer test kits to help consumers map that microbiome, with the promise of helping to improve disease symptoms and even lose weight by eating the “right” food for your unique gut bacteria.
So, can testing and manipulating our microbiome based on a test actually improve health?
Experts say it’s too soon to know. Testing needs more development for accuracy and scientists still need to figure out what to do with the information once you have it, they say.
Also, the tests represent only a snapshot in time – a person’s microbiome changes regularly, within days, depending on factors such as diet, sleep, exercise and stress. And some medicines, such as oral antibiotics, wipe out a lot of the bacteria in your gut microbiome, making it hard to even get a snapshot.”
Read the full article here, from the Sydney Morning Herald.
If you would like to know more about how to fuel a healthy gut microbiome, contact Annette Murphy, our Dietitian, and the team at Beechnut Medical.