FUT2: The Gene That Helps Shape Your Gut Microbiome The FUT2 gene determines whether you are a "secretor" or "non-secretor." Secretors release special sugar molecules called fucosylated glycans into their saliva, mucus and digestive tract. These sugars help feed beneficial gut bacteria and support immune function. Non-secretors do not produce these sugars [...]
Prebiotics: Why Feeding Your Gut Bugs Matters More Than Taking Them Prebiotics are specialised fibres and compounds that feed beneficial gut bacteria. While probiotics often get most of the attention, prebiotics are what help your existing microbiome grow, diversify and produce many of the compounds that support digestion, immunity, metabolism and [...]
Why Probiotics Are Far More Complicated Than Most People Realise Probiotics are not like taking a multivitamin. Different strains can have very different effects, so some may support gut health and regulate inflammation, while others can worsen symptoms in sensitive people. Most probiotics do not permanently colonise the gut. Long-term gut health [...]
Histamine and Oestrogen The Overlooked Hormone–Immune Connection Histamine and estrogen have a two-way relationship. Oestrogen can increase histamine activity, while histamine can stimulate the production of more estrogen. This can create a vicious cycle that may contribute to symptoms like migraines, anxiety, flushing, insomnia, hives, PMS, heavy periods, endometriosis, bloating [...]
Can Food Emulsifiers Damage the Gut Wall? Some emulsifiers like CMC, P80, and carrageenan clearly disrupt the gut barrier in both lab and clinical studies. Others are far less concerning. Most “clean eating” advice gets this wrong by treating every additive as equally harmful. Here’s the practitioner shortlist of which emulsifiers to [...]
What Fermented Foods Really Do for Your Gut Fermented foods are one of the most recommended—and most misunderstood—gut interventions in naturopathy. They help some people enormously and make others worse, and the difference is often written in your microbiome and your histamine genes. Here’s how to tell which group you’re in. [...]
Understanding Microbiome Testing: Different Tests Compared Microbiome testing has become increasingly popular, but not all gut tests are created equal. If you’ve ever wondered why results can look very different depending on the test used — or why one practitioner recommends one type over another — the answer lies in how [...]
What Exactly Is a DNA Test? A DNA test reveals how your body methylates, detoxifies, processes hormones, and responds to nutrients. It doesn’t predict disease, but it can explain why two people on the same diet feel completely different. Here’s what to look for in a clinical-grade test, from a practitioner who [...]
The Genes You Need to Know Before You Start HRT HRT and naturopathic care are not in opposition. For many women in perimenopause, the best results come from combining bioidentical HRT with gut, gene and microbiome support to address what HRT alone can’t. Here’s how I make those decisions in [...]
Genes and Gut Your genes and your microbiome are in constant conversation. Variants in genes like MTHFR, FUT2 and HNMT influence which microbes thrive in your gut and which symptoms appear when they don’t. Here’s how I interpret both together in clinic. Why some digestive issues aren’t “just [...]
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