It's a Gut Feeling: What Your Gut Microbiome Is Telling You

16 May 2025

6 Min Read

Emma Chee Luo Yi (Contributing Writer)

IN THIS ARTICLE

Your gut—mouth, oesophagus, stomach, and intestines—teems with trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, constantly talking to your body. Are you listening?

‘I have a gut feeling that this is more than what it seems.’

There I was, groaning the sentence with a face that probably looked as ghastly as I felt, trying to convince my doctor—who wore a rehearsed smile, sat in a room that smelled of disinfectant and looked almost too clean—that my chronic chest pain, fatigue, and restlessness weren’t just the result of ‘not getting enough sunlight and exercise.’

Sure enough, after some tests, I was diagnosed with iron deficiency anaemia—a shockingly common condition among women (but that’s a story for another time). Had I ignored my nagging gut feeling and settled for the ‘You’re fine. Have you considered going outdoors?’ advice, I would’ve doubted myself further and felt even more overwhelmed by my responsibilities and academic stress—how could I possibly make time for exercise when I was already running out of time to meet deadlines?

This experience taught me that tuning into my body—and, more crucially, my gut—is key, especially when it comes to navigating life’s twists and turns. As it turns out, gut health plays a far bigger role in our well-being than we realise. From our mood to mental clarity, everything starts with the food we consume and the lifestyle we lead. Think of your gut as your built-in compass—it guides your intuition and helps keep your body in harmony.

What Is The Gut Microbiome?

Our gut—which includes the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, and both the small and large intestines—is like a bustling metropolis, home to trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes, all working together to create the vibrant ecosystem known as the gut microbiome. These tiny residents are responsible for breaking down dietary fibres and complex carbohydrates that the body can’t digest on its own, turning them into essential nutrients like short-chain fatty acids, which are absorbed back into the system.

Just like fingerprints, every person’s gut microbiome is one of a kind. We acquire our first gut microbes at birth—through the birth canal or, in the case of caesarean delivery, from the hospital environment and maternal skin—and continue to develop them through breastfeeding. As we grow, various factors, such as diet, stress, sleep, antibiotics, and environmental pollutants, shape and reshape our gut microbiome. These elements influence the introduction of helpful and harmful microbes, with the latter often disrupting the balance of the ecosystem.

How The Gut Microbiome Impacts Our Overall Health

Your gut is quite literally the unsung hero of your body—take good care of it, and it’ll take good care of you. Here are a few ways your gut affects other parts of your body:

A vector illustration of the brain, digestive system, and gut microbes

Your gut health affects your brain health through the gut-brain axis: Your gut and your brain are in constant conversation, exchanging signals via a network of nerves, hormones, and immune responses. A significant part of this dialogue involves the large production of serotonin—often called the ‘happy hormone’—in your small intestine. This neurotransmitter helps regulate mood, appetite, and sleep, as well as cognitive functions like learning and memory.

Your gut health affects your immune system: Believe it or not, your gut is home to up to 80% of your body’s immune cells. The microbes in your gut play a key role in training your immune system—not just to recognise harmful invaders but also to tolerate the helpful ones. Among the key agents in this process are the short-chain fatty acids produced in the large intestine, which help strengthen your gut barrier, prevent toxins from entering your bloodstream, and regulate your body’s inflammatory responses.

Your gut health affects your digestive system: Without the help of gut microbes, you won’t be able to absorb the nutrients from your food. These microbes break down complex carbohydrates and dietary fibres while simultaneously producing short-chain fatty acids and essential vitamins that keep your gut in tip-top shape. They also play a key role in breaking down and recycling bile—which aids in fat digestion—helping to keep your liver healthy and preventing cholesterol from building up.

Your gut health affects your endocrine system: Gut microbes interact with endocrine cells in your gut that secrete hormones, playing a key role in regulating metabolism, blood sugar, and hunger. Researchers are exploring how the gut microbiome might contribute to conditions like obesity, insulin resistance, and Type 2 diabetes, though the exact mechanisms are still being unravelled.

Why Gut Health Matters To You And Me

In today’s hustle and bustle, taking care of our gut health has never been more important. The risks young people like you and me face—from health conditions to chronic diseases—are skyrocketing, and guess what? Our gut is at the heart of it all, influencing how we feel and function:

Mental health challenges: With stress, burnout, and mental health issues on the rise, especially among young people, maintaining a healthy gut is vital for supporting mood and cognitive function. Studies have shown that poor gut health is linked to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Research has also revealed that changes in the gut microbiome of mice can affect their behaviour and anxiety levels.

Modern diet and lifestyle factors: Today’s typical diet—rich in ultra-processed foods (yes, sugary bubble tea and savoury instant noodles are included, unfortunately)—and lifestyle factors like irregular sleep and high-stress levels can throw our gut microbiome off balance and weaken our gut barrier. Together, these factors not only harm our gut in the short term but also contribute to long-term health risks, such as obesity and chronic inflammation.

Chronic and digestive disease risks: With the pressures of modern life and mental health struggles, research shows a worrying spike in digestive cancers and metabolic disorders among younger populations in recent decades, such as stomach and oesophageal cancers, highlighting just how vital gut health is for disease prevention.

How to Keep Your Gut Microbiome Healthy

A vector illustration of various gut-friendly foods—like vegetables, fruits, fish, kimchi, yoghurt, nuts, and olive oil—arranged in the shape of a heart

Now that you’re in the know about how crucial gut health is, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and give your gut microbiome the love it deserves. As a chronically overwhelmed university student, here are some methods I’ve personally tested and can vouch for:

Take probiotics: One quick trip to your local pharmacy, and you’re on your way to a healthier gut. Probiotic supplements contain beneficial bacteria that help improve your gut microbiome diversity. Plus, they fit seamlessly into your daily diet!

Eat fermented foods: Fermented foods like yoghurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut have probiotic effects that introduce beneficial bacteria to strengthen your gut microbiome diversity. They also give your brain and cognitive function a nice little boost!

Eat prebiotic-rich foods: While it may sound cliché, fruits like apples, peaches, and bananas really are gut health superheroes. Apples support gut health with antioxidants, peaches fight inflammation, and bananas nourish beneficial bacteria—all of which work together to keep digestion smooth and bowel movements regular.

Eat whole grain foods: Brown rice, oatmeal, and whole wheat bread are your gut’s best friends—they fuel your gut with fibre to keep digestion cruising smoothly and ward off constipation.

Rehydrate with electrolyte drinks (after diarrhoea): We’ve all been there—agonising on the toilet bowl after an oh-so-tasty plate of Maggi Goreng, yet not regretting a single bite. But fear not! Once you’ve weathered the storm, just grab an electrolyte drink to quickly replenish lost minerals and get your gut back on track.

Conclusion

Your gut has a big job to do, and now you’ve got the tools to support it. With just a few simple changes, you can help your internal ‘north star’ shine brighter. Life can get hectic, I know, but taking care of your gut will pay off in ways you’ll feel every day. So why wait? Start prioritising your gut health today—it’ll thank you for it.

It's not just in your head—it's in your gut too! But to understand your gut, you've got to fill your head first with the right knowledge—and our Foundation in Science programme gets you started.

Emma Chee Luo Yi pursued Cambridge A Level at Taylor's College before attending the University of Western Australia. A law student with an artistic soul, she studies during the day and writes, draws, or crochets at night!

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