Gut health: real, or just a WhatsApp forward?

The glowing cartoon stomach. The uncle and his ajwain. What is real?

Read the guide

So, is it real?

Yes. It is how well your digestion does its daily work.

Breaking food down, taking in nutrients, passing waste without pain.

What it means

"But I get gas after rajma chawal."

On average, people pass gas 8 to 14 times a day. A change from your normal that stays for weeks is one for your doctor.

What is normal

Open your flour tin

Whole wheat atta: 11.36 g of fibre. Maida: 2.76 g.

Per 100 g, raw. Fibre is what your gut bacteria work on.

The fibre

WHO advice for adults

At least 25 g of fibre a day.

From the dal, the atta, the sabzi. Add it over a couple of weeks, not one weekend: fibre foods can bring gas.

How much fibre

Real, and it starts at the flour tin and dahi bowl.

One small US trial in healthy adults: fermented foods made gut bacteria more diverse over 17 weeks. Indian foods were not tested.

The dahi trial

And what is in your chai spoon?

The article counts the sugar in three cups of chai, and what the "-ol" names on a pack mean.

Read the full article

From The Sweet Change

Monk Fruit Drops

Monk fruit extract, water and vitamin C

Monk Fruit Powder

Monk fruit, guar fibre and allulose, no erythritol

Shop now