#286 Why looking at your Poo is key to understanding your health with Dr Emily Leeming
Feb 26, 2025
auto_awesome
In this insightful discussion, Dr. Emily Leeming, a scientist at King’s College London and author of Genius Gut, explores the fascinating world of gut health. She highlights how examining our stool can reveal crucial health insights often overlooked. The conversation dives into the impact of diet on gut diversity, the significant role of fiber in digestion, and how menopause influences digestive health. Listeners also learn about the myths surrounding hydration and the importance of individualized nutrition for optimal gut function.
Understanding the signals from our gut, such as energy levels and mood, is crucial in assessing overall health.
Regularly examining the characteristics of our stool provides more informative insights into digestive health than expensive medical tests.
A fiber-rich diet is essential for gut health, as it regulates blood sugar, promotes fullness, and lowers cholesterol levels.
Menopause significantly affects gut health, making dietary choices like increasing fiber intake and hydration even more important during this phase.
Deep dives
Myths About Gut Health
One prevalent myth is that a single unhealthy meal can severely damage gut health, which is false. Additionally, there is a belief that taking expensive probiotics or supplements is necessary for maintaining gut health, but this is not supported by scientific evidence. The speaker emphasizes that instead of these costly interventions, focusing on a fiber-rich diet is more beneficial. This approach is simpler and promotes a more balanced gut microbiome naturally through diet.
Signs of a Healthy Gut
The gut communicates its health status through various signals such as energy levels, mood, and even skin condition. One crucial indicator is the state of one's stool, which can offer insights into overall gut function. By examining the shape, color, and frequency of bowel movements, individuals can gauge their digestive health more effectively than through expensive testing. Regular monitoring of stool characteristics can provide more relevant information about gut health than many market alternatives.
The Role of Fiber
Fiber is highlighted as an essential component for maintaining gut health, serving several vital functions. It aids in regulating blood sugar levels by acting as an obstacle course, slowing the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. Additionally, fiber contributes to feelings of fullness by bulking up the gut and signaling the brain to indicate satiation. It also supports heart health by helping to eliminate harmful cholesterol from the body, demonstrating its multifaceted benefits beyond just digestive health.
Understanding Gut Microbiome Diversity
The gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem composed of trillions of microbes, which should ideally display high diversity for optimal health. Diversity among these microbes is crucial because it enhances resilience against harmful pathogens and supports a wide range of bodily functions. Factors such as diet, age, and lifestyle can affect this diversity, emphasizing the need for a varied and balanced diet rich in different plant sources. Individuals can improve their microbiome's diversity by incorporating a range of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
Impacts of Menopause on Gut Health
Menopause can significantly affect gut health due to fluctuations in estrogen levels, which alters the gut microbiome’s composition. Women going through menopause may experience digestive discomfort and changes in gut bacteria diversity, leading to increased bloating or irregular bowel movements. There is still limited research on how to effectively mitigate these gut health issues during menopause, but maintaining a fiber-rich diet is essential. Regular physical activity, hydration, and stress management are also vital for supporting gut health during this phase.
The Importance of Hydration and Ferments
Hydration is emphasized as a fundamental aspect of gut health, as water supports digestion and the overall function of the digestive system. In addition to hydration, incorporating fermented foods can introduce beneficial probiotics that positively impact gut health. These foods can help maintain a balanced microbiome, especially when combined with a high-fiber diet. Together, adequate hydration and the consumption of fermented products create a robust environment for gut microbiome health.
Bloating and Digestive Discomfort
Bloating, often a concern for many, can be a normal response after eating high-fiber meals as the gut microbes ferment the fiber, producing gas. This natural occurrence is typically harmless if it subsides within an hour after eating. However, persistent bloating that causes significant discomfort could indicate an underlying issue that requires attention. Individuals experiencing chronic bloating should track their symptoms and consult a healthcare professional to explore potential dietary or lifestyle modifications.
Probiotics: Cautions and Considerations
While probiotics are often marketed for their health benefits, their effectiveness can vary greatly among individuals. Research suggests that not all probiotic products contain the strains they claim or deliver significant health benefits. Moreover, probiotics may not be necessary if individuals maintain a balanced diet rich in fiber, fruits, and vegetables, which naturally support gut health. Those experiencing specific digestive issues may benefit from targeted probiotics but should carefully choose strains that have proven efficacy for their particular concerns.
What is your gut trying to tell you? It might not speak in words, but it’s always sending signals through your energy levels, mood or even our skin. But most of us don’t think about those little signs as part of a bigger picture.
And a blatant way your gut communicates your general state of health, is through the state of your poo! Quickly flushed away, many of us don’t take the time to examine our poop for signs of health, but if you’re interested in gut health, keeping a track of your stools could be more informative than any wearable or microbe test you can buy!
Today, we’re diving into the world of what our poop says about our gut health with Dr. Emily Leeming, a scientist at King’s College London, registered dietitian and the author of Genius Gut.
You’ll learn:
What to look for in your poop and how to tell that your digestive system is working optimally.
Whether the evidence for eating 30 Plants a week is actually that strong
How menopause can affect the gut
How long it would take to reset or ‘heal’ the gut after years of excess sugar, poor eating or antibiotics
We also talk about the superpowers of fibre. How it creates “an obstacle course for sugar”, how it can stretch the gut and signal to your brain that you’ve eaten enough and even how it can lower your cholesterol.
