Some things should be consumed with caution, while others need to be avoided entirely – these are the most serious offenders. Your gut microbiome is as individual as your fingerprint and is something none of us should ignore if we want to lead a healthier and happier life. “It is made up of trillions of microbes that respond to what we feed them,” says Dr Federica Amati, head nutritionist at Zoe, a science and nutrition company.
“Gut health is dependent on what we ingest every day.” Some of what makes it unique is down to genetics, but only to a limited extent. You can’t change your genes, but by eating foods that are linked to “good” microbes, you can modify your microbiome.
The benefits can often be felt within days, though Amati does offer a caveat: “You have to keep it up. I use the analogy of a garden. If you have a beautiful garden but you never water it and you never weed it, it’s going to suffer.
