Busting 8 Common Gut Health Myths

There is a lot of chatter on the internet with regards to gut health, and it can get confusing. I’ve seen and heard it all, and it can be really tough when you’re trying to get to the root of your digestive or gut health symptoms, and none of these strategies are working for you.

That is why I want to bust them TODAY!

If you’ve fallen for some of these, don’t worry, we’ve all been there! It’s becoming increasingly apparent that our gut health plays a VERY important role in our overall health, from our mind and mental health, to our immune system, digestion, hormone balance and much, much, more. With that, comes people trying to sell you one-size-fits-all approaches and products (and the confusion that results from it).

So let’s dig in!

1. Bloating is NORMAL.

❌BUSTED❌

You see it on TikTok and instagram a lot. People showing their bellies before and after food trying to normalize bloating. As much as their efforts are well-intended, they are perpetuating this myth that bloating is normal and just something that we all deal with.

Here’s the thing, there is a difference between COMMON and NORMAL.

It’s incredibly common to feel bloated after the ingestion of meals (especially since so many of us are dealing with hidden digestive issues), but no, this does not mean that it is normal.

Bloating is a sign that your body is sending you. A sign that something is off in the digestive tract. It may be rooted how your eating your meals, the underproduction of stomach acid, not chewing enough, your food choices, gut health imbalances AND THE LIST GOES ON. This is nuanced and changes by the person, but one thing I do know, is that it is COMMON, not NORMAL.

2. Issues in the gut only impact the GUT.

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The body was once viewed in a mechanistic way, which completely ignores how our body systems work together. Issues of the gut are far reaching, and this is why I value a holistic approach to health. Simply put, this means that we are looking at the whole body, not simply the part of the body that isn’t optimally functioning.

Believe it or not, issues of the gut can impact a number of different areas of the body, like;

• Acne

• Anxiety/ Stress/ Depression & other mental health conditions

• Weakened Immune System

• Hormone Imbalances

• Sore Joints / Arthritis

• Sluggish Liver

3. EVERYONE with gut issues will benefit from a probiotic.

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Nope. There are some gut health imbalances that you can actually make worse by incorporating a probiotic, or by not including the right one. Probiotics can be complicated, because there are many different probiotic strains, and the number of colony forming units (CFUs) make a big difference, and different supplements are appropriate for different people.

To find out if a probiotic is for you, you should connect with a holistic nutritionist or naturopath that can steer you in the right direction.

4. You need to invest in a bunch of supplements to heal the gut.

❌BUSTED❌

I wish I knew that I didn’t need to spend so much money on supplements on my gut health journey. I actually don’t bring supplements into the picture at all until we are first able to make some lifestyle and dietary shifts, and THEN we discuss adding in supplements where there may be holes that we need to fill.

There is a TON of work we can work on before supplements even enter the picture.

5. Gut healing can be a quick process.

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This is far from the truth. In my practice, generally I see people who have tried all the things, for short periods of time. What they’re missing is the time and consistency that is required to truly heal from gut health imbalances.

Think about it this way, if you have been struggling with your digestive issues for X amount of years, it’s not reasonable to expect yourself to heal in a few short months.

Consistency is more important than perfection, and it’s important to know that it’s going to take time.

6. Heartburn means you have too much stomach acid.

❌BUSTED❌

This is one of my favourite myths to bust. I have spoken to SO MANY people who go to their doctor for complaints regarding acid reflux, to be sent home with acid blocking medications. These are commonly prescribed with no tests preformed to see if they are truly suffering with an over production of acid, or (more commonly) an underproduction.

While acid suppressing medications may provide temporary relief, it’s actually allowing the problem to get worse if left untreated.

7. Fermented foods are good for everyone

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This comes back to the myth that everyone with gut heath issues will benefit from a probiotic, and it’s simply not the case. Listen, if you’ve been following along for a bit, you know that I love fermented foods, and I think they do play a super important role for most people, BUT there are some people that may not benefit from them until certain imbalances are corrected.

A couple of these imbalances include those with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), histamine intolerance or dysbiosis in the form of excess candida.

8. If you have food sensitivities, eliminate them for a solution to your gut health issues.

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NO, NO, NO, NO. I see this all time. Clients that come to me with a list of intolerances a mile long, and no matter how may foods they cut out, the list keeps getting longer. This is because you aren’t addressing the root issue.

You must ask yourself WHY am I intolerant to all of these foods.

More often than not the problem is not in the food itself, but rather in the digestive process or health of the gut.

If you find that your list of food intolerances is getting worse instead of better, I encourage you to work with someone like myself to dig to the root issues, rather than putting a bandaid on them (removing the food).

The Balance with Britt Podcast: Episode 14: The One Where We Bust Gut Health Myths with Shannon Babic

Tune into this episode to dive into this topic even further! In this episode, I chat with Shannon Babic, a gut health nutritionist that helps women revel in a bloat free life without being held down by IBS.

In this episode, Shannon and I bust some common gut health myths. So if you have been trying to improve your digestion and gut health on your own, you might want to have a listen to make sure you're not falling for some of these common (and confusing) myths in the gut health world.