Gut health myths you need to stop believing

In recent years, gut health has become one of the hottest wellness topics, and for very good reason. A healthy gut doesn’t just help your digestion, it can also influence your mood, aid your immune system and even help your skin look brighter.

But, as with anything, all the hype has led to plenty of myths and misconceptions floating around. Influencers and bloggers have taken to the online stage to deliver ‘life hacks’ that might not be true at all.

Here are some of the biggest gut health myths and underlying tips and truths that could actually improve your daily diet.

Myth 1: Probiotics are the only things your gut needs to stay healthy

Probiotics get all the headlines. And probiotics are great for your gut health. But advertisements will have you drinking probiotic yoghurts day after day to deliver more ‘good bacteria’ without considering the balance and diversity you need.

That’s where prebiotic fibre comes in. It’s always good to pair your probiotics, like yoghurt or kimchi with fibre-rich foods such as oats, beans or seaweed sheets. This helps the gut bacteria to grow stronger with more diverse nutrients and creates balance in your gut to reduce bloating.

Myth 2: Fibre is purely to aid digestion

Fibre is well known for keeping things moving through your system, and that’s not wrong. If you ever suffer from constipation, your doctor will always tell you to eat more fibre. However, it’s less well known that fibre is also great at balancing blood sugar levels and increases heart health. If you’re experiencing a sugar rush, adding a little fibre will often bring you back to earth without the huge crash.

To spread some fibre throughout your diet, add some fruit (berries are a great fibre source!) to porridge for breakfast, toss some beans into your lunch salad and lose the crisps in favour of seaweed sheets for a quick snack.

Myth 3: All fermented foods are equally good for you

It’s tempting to think that all fermented foods are equally good for you because that’s the way the media promotes them. But the truth is, not all of them contain the live cultures you’re looking for by the time they reach your plate. Some are also loaded with sugar or salt.

Try to change up the types of fermented foods you eat. Asian inspired treats are a good way to maintain your fibre intake while still experiencing lots of variation. Try kimchi or miso, or even fresh seaweed from a fish monger or specialist Asian shop. You can’t get more natural than that, and the freshness means that you’re getting natural goodness from the food.

Myth 4: Supplements make up for the food you’re not eating

Taking supplements serves a purpose. But they shouldn’t be looked at as a long-term solution in place of the natural fibre, prebiotics and minerals sourced from actual food. This is because within each type of food, there’s a different balance of nutrients that your body needs to maintain energy, strength and overall health. Mixing foods up allows you to dip into different nutrient sources and take what you need.

Supplements taken in pill or powder form are all made to be uniform. This isn’t a natural way to take in nutrients and after a while, your body will adjust to only being able to consume certain vitamins and minerals in this uniform way. When you add other foods on top, this may create an unhealthy reaction in your gut as your body wasn’t prepared for the adjustment to the balance.

Myth 5: Gut health fixes are instant

Lots of people drink smoothies for a week and think their body has had a full detox. But a healthy microbiome is about consistency, and it can take a long time to build up to where you need to be.

You’ll need to combine healthy food with habit to be able to move forward. Rotate between different fibres and fibre sources such as wholegrains, nuts, beans, fruit, seaweed, etc. These are all handy snacking options that you can whip up in no time and can develop your microbiome over time.

Gut health doesn’t need to be complicated or disguised behind adverts for the newest trends. A rich diet with diverse fibres, fermented foods and smart snacks will support your daily health much better than the latest gut health fad. We recommend to create diet consistency, and not to rely on quick wins.

Are you on a journey to a healthy gut? Please share your experience with photos and vids on social and tag @morishsnacks – we’re keen to hear from you 🥰!

If you liked this blog and want to read more on ‘gut happiness’, take a look at our articles on Why seaweed snacks help promote gut health and Anti-inflammatory snacks: why they’re one of the UK’s biggest health food trends.