Gut health
Bowel movements like small pellets, mushy, or explosive: the seven types
Bowel movements like small pellets, mushy stool, or explosive diarrhea: the seven forms The essentials at a glance The shape of your stool primarily describes how long it has been in transit. In 1997, Lewis and Heaton showed in 66...
Fungi in the body: self-test, search term, or finding - what a gut test really reveals
Fungi in the body: self-test, search term, or finding - what a gut test really shows The essentials at a glance “Fungi in the body” is a search term, not a finding. There is no test that measures fungi throughout...
Pain in the right upper abdomen: what could be behind it
Pain in the right upper abdomen: what could be behind it The most important points at a glance The liver and gallbladder are located on the right beneath the costal arch, along with parts of the stomach and intestine. Pain...
Colon cleansing: what’s behind it and what has been proven
Intestinal cleansing: what it involves and what is supported by evidence The essentials at a glance In medicine, “intestinal cleansing” means preparing for an examination, for example before a colonoscopy. In advertising, the same term means a cleanse intended to...
Bland diet: what belongs on the plate when you have stomach and intestinal problems
Bland diet: what belongs on the plate with gastrointestinal problems The essentials at a glance A bland diet means: low-fat, mildly seasoned, cooked rather than raw, in several small meals. Based on experience, the plate includes carrots, pumpkin, zucchini, rice,...
Mucus in stool: when it is harmless and when to see a doctor
Mucus in stool: when it is harmless and when to see a doctor The most important points at a glance A small amount of mucus in stool is normal. The intestinal mucosa, meaning the inner lining of the intestine, produces...
What the color of your stool means: harmless or not
Brown in all shades is normal. Three colors are reason to schedule an appointment—and one of them lasts longer than most people think.
Microbiome diversity in the report: what the value really means
Microbiome diversity in the report: what the value really tells you The essentials at a glance The diversity value describes two things at once: how many different bacterial groups the lab found in your sample and how evenly those groups...
Understanding abdominal discomfort: what each symptom may indicate
Making sense of abdominal symptoms: what each symptom may indicate The essentials at a glance Anyone who searches online for abdominal symptoms finds a separate article for each individual symptom and is no wiser in the end. This article does...