5 Things That Are Seriously Messing With Your Gut — And What You Can Do

Ten years ago, the word "gut" was hardly trendy, and no one was talking about probiotics—except for maybe that guy at the health food store who was fermenting his own sauerkraut in a Mason jar. But now, you can't go more than a day without hearing about a gut-healing protocol, fancy new probiotic drink, or a study on how the state of the microbiome seems to influence everything from digestion to mental health to immunity.

1. Diet

There's no question that modern, processed diets are bad for the gut. Due to the vast majority of farming subsidies going to producers of corn, wheat, and soy, prices for the foods containing these crops (many of which are high in sugar and refined carbohydrates and low in meaningful vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, and fiber) have dropped—making them cheap and readily accessible for consumers.