Feeding Your Gut Without Chasing a Miracle Food
The gut microbiome is a community of microorganisms shaped by food, medicines, illness, and many other factors. It is an active area of research, but a single bacterial species does not define a person's health.
Start with ordinary foods
Beans, whole grains, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds offer different kinds of fiber. Add them gradually if a sudden increase causes discomfort. Yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and other fermented foods may also fit, depending on your taste and health needs.
What a trial found
A small Stanford randomized study compared high-fiber and fermented-food diets and found different effects on participants' microbiomes and immune markers. It is interesting evidence, not a prescription to eat a fixed number of fermented servings or buy a microbiome supplement.
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