WELCOME TO THE - GUT LAB

Between all of the social media 'hacks', the sensational promises and the scientific jargon, the path to better gut health can feel nearly impossible to navigate. Allow us to give you an insider's guide.

Gut health-focused products are top of mind for today's consumers, according to the International Food Information Council's 2023 trend forecast survey. And gut health is a sought-after benefit when shopping for products such as wellness drinks and supplements. Over on social media, there's a massive community obsessed with healing your gut, with some users peddling unproven interventions, from DIY wellness shots to gut cleanses (on TikTok, #guttok videos have 1bn views, while there are more than 5m Instagram posts with the hashtag #guthealth).

Yes, the functioning of your gut is important for your overall health, and by extension, your running. And researchers are continuing to find evidence that the impact of strong gut health goes way beyond digestion; you have an entire colony of microbes inside you that have a role in everything from immunity to heart health and mood. That said, working to improve your microbiome isn't necessarily the answer to every single health woe.

And not everyone has a gut problem in the first place. "As with everything else in health, I have to issue caution," says Will Bulsiewicz, gastroenterologist and author of The Fibre Fuelled Cookbook.

"There are hyperbolic, ridiculous claims on the internet regarding the gut." As it turns out, you can do most of your gut-health heavy lifting with some well-planned nutrition, sleep and stress-management interventions that are influential enough to make a difference to your daily well-being.  Use our guide to help you digest what's truly important.

Is it normal?