And they've raked in a little over a billion views. Like with anything that skyrockets on TikTok, gut health's popularity on the app can be attributed in part to the ease with which content creators can churn out quick and relatable videos about topics like how to reduce bloating or prevent symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Another factor is that as users are looking to become more informed about their health on the app, they're also looking for solutions—and the gut health community is offering them up. Health and wellness brands are listening and learning as well. For example, this year, a cleaner and easier way to get gut health information was launched by Thorne, a science-driven wellness company that supports healthy aging. Testing your gut health typically requires pooping in a bucket or on a piece of paper, then scooping a sample of your own stool into a container to ship it to a lab. "You get a lot of information from doing these gut health tests, but one issue is that the collection process just isn't the greatest experience," says Nathan Price, chief scientific officer at Thorne.
Thorne's test offers an alternative that seems tailor-made for the TikTok generation—a microbiome wipe, which is used just like toilet paper after going to the bathroom. You place the wipe in a container, send it off, and you're done. "It's just like what you do every single day," Price says. "We just thought that is the simplest way we can possibly think of that you can collect a microbiome sample. "The simplicity of the test, plus the actionable steps provided with the results, has the potential to really resonate with creators and followers on TikTok. But the sheer amount of information, advice and remedies on social media can be a lot to wade through. There is so much coming your way that you may not be able to distinguish the myths from the facts, or even understand why gut health is so important in the first place. Thankfully, we spoke to a gastroenterologist about what exactly gut health is, how it affects other parts of your body and how you can improve it. Here's what he had to say. What is gut health, and why is it important? Gut health is a term used to describe how the gut interacts with the rest of the body and overall health, including how you digest and absorb substances, according to a 2011 study in BMC Medicine. The key to all things gut health is the microbiome, according to Christopher Damian, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Health Center at the University of Washington Medical Center, and chief medical and science Officer at Super gut. You could think about the microbiome as the 'Yamaguchi of our gut,' Damian, says. "You have to keep the Yamaguchi happy to keep your whole body happy," Damian, says. The microbiome is filled with microbes, and there's a very important reason why they live in your gut, Damian, says. He encourages you to think about microbes as a nutrient factory that makes the things your body needs, using the food we eat. Many of those nutrients aren't present in the food itself.
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