Social media is sparking a surge in gut health awareness, new research finds.
Over the past year, Benenden Health has spotted that searches for ‘what is gut health’ have increased by 70 per cent.
And it’s no surprise that Brits are paying attention to their digestive health. The gut plays an important role in not only your digestive system, but your overall physical and mental health. In fact, 80 per cent of the immune system lies in the gut.
However, the experts at Benenden Health have warned that while the nation may be increasingly aware of their gut, this doesn’t mean their knowledge of what makes a healthy one has improved.
Abir Hamza-Goodacre, Registered Nutritional Therapist at Benenden Hospital explains:
“It is definitely true that people are becoming much more aware of the role of the gut in their overall health.
“However, we often see that Brits will wait until they experience unusual digestive symptoms, such as irregular stool, before seeking medical help or professional help about their gut. But the signs of an unhealthy gut are not always felt just in the digestive system. This means many people might not realise that they have a gut imbalance and need to change their lifestyle or diet.”
10 signs and symptoms of poor gut health:
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- High stress levels
- Poor sleep quality
- Skin irritation
- Bloating
- Heartburn
- Loss of appetite and loss of weight
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
To help those looking to find out more about gut health, the experts at Benenden Health have created the Go With Your Gut quiz. Designed to help people understand how they can better support their gut health, the quiz allows users to check in with their current eating and lifestyle habits.
Llinos Connolly at Benenden Health comments: “The Microbiome within the gut is key to many aspects of our health, so it’s important that people are conscious of what can affect that balance. For example, factors such as diet, stress levels, exposure to pollutants, and alcohol intake, can all impact your gut health – which can be quite overwhelming when you’re trying to keep track.”
“That’s why we’ve created the Go With Your Gut quiz to bridge the gap between this new-found interest which many Brits now have, with tangible advice and actionable tips to support a healthy gut.”
Free to use, the quiz can be found on the Benenden Health website alongside a range of other informative articles about gut health.
