Social media influencers are sharing their gut health struggles and tips to "hack" your gut” using hashtags such as #guttok, #guthealth and #guthealing. Recently, this included promoting the use of L-glutamine supplements to heal the gastrointestinal system. The content targets individuals experiencing various ailments, including diarrhea, constipation, bloating and other symptoms associated with a ‘leaky gut’.

The PEN team was made aware of recent interest in the role of emulsifiers and gut microbiome and health. Dietary emulsifiers help to combine or stabilize substances that usually don’t stay together when mixed. They affect a food’s appearance, texture and shelf-life and are commonly found in processed and ultra-processed foods such as margarine, mayonnaise and salad dressings, sauces, nut butters, chocolate products, milk and dairy including ice cream products and commercially made baked goods.

Information for consumers from the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK about leaky gut/bowel.

  2020-10-01 – Handout

A collection of websites related to microbioia.

   2016-07-21 – Website

Background information regarding the physiology of body weight, weight gain and adipose tissue.

  2022-06-28 – Background

This handout aims to provide information on how to choose a proper probiotic.

  2024-10-23 – Handout

A synthesis of the recommendations and evidence regarding bone health and osteoporosis.

  2023-07-04 – Summary of Recommendations and Evidence

This toolkit provides an overview of the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Knowledge Pathway that includes a description of the topic, key nutrition issues, nutrition assessment, intervention, nutrition monitoring/evaluation and client resources.

A synthesis of the recommendations and evidence regarding sweeteners.

  2023-11-24 – Summary of Recommendations and Evidence