Every few months, a new one Gut health It seems the trend has hit social media – sea moss gel, bone broth, Coconut Cult Probiotic Mousse, com. fibermaxxing…the list goes on. Maybe you keep scrolling…or maybe you pause and watch some videos and wonder: What if this creator was really into something?
After all, gut health is at the forefront of many people’s minds right now with growing public awareness of its impact on your overall health. “The health and function of your gut affects your body in ways that go beyond whether you have it or not Good tube today,” Desiree Nielsen, RDa recipe developer with a focus on plant-based nutrition, tells SELF. It has been linked to everything from Low pressure to Better moodfor beginners.
But taking care of your gut doesn’t have to mean paying attention to every health craze or TikTok fad. In fact, it often means that no Do so, according to experts. “There is no regulation on the Internet, so anyone can say anything.” Lisa Jango, DOsays a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health. “But that doesn’t always mean they’re right.” Repeat after us: The number of followers does not necessarily mean medical expertise.
However, the sheer volume of information available can make it difficult to separate fact from fiction. To cut through the hype, we went straight to the source: We asked Nielsen, and Dr. Ganjhu, and other gut health experts on the most common gut health myths and misconceptions they encounter in their work—and why they’re not true. Here’s what they had to say.
1. You have to defecate at least once a day.
Although it can be a touchy subject for some, there’s no way around it: Your bathroom habits can be an important barometer of your overall gut health. What comes out is often a clue to what’s going on inside, but its frequency may vary from person to person.
Because of these natural differences in digestive rhythms, missing a day (or two!) doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong, according to Dr. Jango. When it comes to regular bowel movements, one size does not fit all. Craig Gluckman, MD“We’re going to have a healthy diet,” he says to SELF, an assistant professor of medicine at UCLA with a focus on esophageal and gastrointestinal motility disorders. For some people, it may mean “natural.” defecation As much as three times per day. For others, that may mean less than three times a week.
