All 885 tips from all chapters, sorted by topic and confidence score. See what is well supported and what is still experimental.
| Topic | Established | Well supported | Promising | Plausible | Experimental |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gut barrier | 3 | 14 | 5 | ||
| Opportunistic pathogens | 1 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 10 |
| Bacteriophages | 2 | 2 | |||
| Microbial diversity | 2 | 4 | 12 | 13 | 5 |
| Gut-brain axis | 3 | 5 | 7 | 2 | |
| Digestive function | 1 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 9 |
| Small intestine colonisation | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
| Immune system and inflammation | 1 | 5 | 14 | 7 | |
| Total | 5 | 20 | 50 | 72 | 43 |
Tap a number to see the tips below. Darker cells contain more tips.
Gut-brain axis · Clear selection
Trust score 4 of 5:Well supported Natural supplements
If you have taken acid blockers for years, eat vegan, have had small-bowel surgery or have bacterial overgrowth, have your B12 measured. A deficiency is corrected, as tablets or injections depending on the cause. Without a deficiency there is no proven benefit for the head.
Brain fog and fatigue: when your gut makes your head tired 2 sources
Trust score 4 of 5:Well supported Natural supplements
There is no supplement with good evidence for stress-related gut symptoms. The exception in IBS: peppermint oil for cramps. Be careful with herbal calming products, especially St John's wort, because they can change the effect of many medicines; ask a pharmacy or doctor first.
Stress, sleep and the gut 1 sources
Trust score 4 of 5:Well supported Natural supplements
According to the guideline, soluble fibre such as psyllium improves overall symptoms in IBS, insoluble fibre such as wheat bran probably does not. Increase slowly, otherwise it causes gas.
The gut-brain axis 1 sources
Trust score 3 of 5:Promising Natural supplements
Psyllium husk as soluble fibre is recommended for irritable bowel syndrome and constipation, whereas insoluble bran is rather not. Start slowly and drink plenty, otherwise you will bloat.
A gut-friendly everyday life 1 sources
Trust score 3 of 5:Promising Natural supplements
In a meta-analysis of 10 studies with 1030 people, peppermint oil improved abdominal pain more often than placebo (NNT 7). The quality of evidence is very low, and side effects such as heartburn occurred more often. Take enteric-coated capsules, and be careful with reflux.
Abdominal pain and cramps: where the pain comes from 1 sources
Trust score 3 of 5:Promising Natural supplements
The fixed combination Menthacarin improved abdominal pain and fullness in an analysis of 5 studies with 580 people. The studies are small and partly funded by the manufacturer.
Abdominal pain and cramps: where the pain comes from 2 sources
Trust score 3 of 5:Promising Natural supplements
In women with fatigue, no anaemia but ferritin below 50 µg/l, iron reduced tiredness more than placebo in a randomised trial. Without a deficiency iron brings nothing, often irritates the gut, and too much is harmful. Measure first, then supplement; have the dose and form set by a doctor.
Brain fog and fatigue: when your gut makes your head tired 1 sources
Trust score 3 of 5:Promising Natural supplements
Enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules ease abdominal pain and cramps in IBS. The guideline suggests them, and a meta-analysis supports this. It can worsen heartburn.
The gut-brain axis 2 sources
Trust score 2 of 5:Plausible Natural supplements
Magnesium oxide and citrate have a laxative effect and are used for constipation. Good studies on relaxation or the gut microbiota are lacking. With reduced kidney function, discuss it with a doctor first.
A gut-friendly everyday life no source of its own, score based on judgement
Trust score 2 of 5:Plausible Natural supplements
A mixture of six plants, including caraway, fennel and anise, improved symptoms in individual studies. The studies are manufacturer-funded. The classic formula contains greater celandine, which in rare cases damages the liver; a celandine-free version (STW 5-II) also exists. In reviews, peppermint oil is the only herbal treatment for IBS named consistently.
Abdominal pain and cramps: where the pain comes from 2 sources
Trust score 2 of 5:Plausible Natural supplements
If the brain fog started around the same time as a new probiotic, a pause is a harmless experiment. The study on this is small and has no real control group. The antibiotic that was also given there is not something to take on your own.
Brain fog and fatigue: when your gut makes your head tired 1 sources
Trust score 2 of 5:Plausible Natural supplements
On a very restricted diet, have blood levels such as iron, vitamin B12, folate and vitamin D checked. A simple multivitamin can be a bridge but does not replace food. Expensive "gut cures" do not solve the actual problem.
Fear of food: when your list of safe foods keeps shrinking no source of its own, score based on judgement
Trust score 2 of 5:Plausible Natural supplements
So-called psychobiotics or "brain food" are nowhere near as well proven for IBS pain as hypnotherapy or CBT. If you want to try something, do it in addition, not instead.
Gut-directed hypnotherapy and psychological therapy: treatment via the gut-brain axis no source of its own, score based on judgement
Trust score 2 of 5:Plausible Natural supplements
Psyllium makes stools more even, both with constipation and with soft stools around your period. In pregnancy, discuss it first.
Hormones, the cycle and the gut no source of its own, score based on judgement
Trust score 2 of 5:Plausible Natural supplements
So-called psychobiotics have mainly been studied in animals. The results in humans are inconsistent.
The gut-brain axis no source of its own, score based on judgement
Trust score 1 of 5:Experimental Natural supplements
Quercetin, vitamin C, low-histamine diets and whole supplement stacks are often recommended in hEDS and POTS groups. There are no studies on them in this group, and increased MCAS is not established. If you try something, treat it as a test: one thing at a time, with a diary and a fixed end date.
POTS and hypermobility: when circulation and connective tissue drag the gut along 2 sources
Trust score 1 of 5:Experimental Natural supplements
The effect of a Lactobacillus via the vagus has been shown in mice. There is no evidence for it in humans. Products advertised with “vagus activation” go beyond the evidence.
The vagus nerve: the data line between belly and head 1 sources