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B2 DAILY STORY
Health 22 Jun 2026

8 things to know about the gut microbiome and keeping yours healthy

Wellness influencers often talk about fixing a broken gut microbiome. And marketers sell tests and supplements to fix your gut health. Here's what what the evidence really shows about gut health.

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Wellness influencers often talk about fixing a broken gut microbiome. And marketers sell tests and supplements to fix your gut health. Here's what what the evidence really shows about gut health. In the world of wellness and health content, few areas of our anatomy attract more interest lately — and specious claims — than the gut microbiome. This vast ecosystem of bacteria and microorganisms within our intestines shapes our health in profound ways that go well beyond digesting food — our immune system, mood, cognition, metabolism and much more. Gut researchers say, in many cases, what's being promoted has leapfrogged the evidence. Here's what some of the leading scientists in the field want you to know: It's a fundamental challenge for the field: In healthy people, the specific makeup of the gut microbiome can vary considerably based on geography, lifestyle, diet, genetics and other factors. Even though the field has made major strides, there's "no clinical or scientific consensus around what constitutes a healthy microbiome," says Hannah Holscher, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

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