There is something uniquely unsettling about sending a sample of your own poo in the post — as I, and hundreds of thousands of us, have been doing lately — to work out the state of our guts.
While I’ve never suffered from obvious problems such as IBS or bloating, since entering my 40s I’ve become more concerned about underlying issues — particularly my recurring insomnia — and taking all manner of tests. Gut health is my latest obsession.
In addition to exacerbating sleep problems, gut health is increasingly linked to brain diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, as well as hormonal and immunity issues. And the business of the microbiome is booming — the global microbiome diagnostics market is projected to grow from $146mn in 2023 to $300mn in 2028.