A healthy gastrointestinal tract is essential for overall well-being and health. This has always been a fundamental naturopathic principle, now supported by scientific evidence. Patients may experience a wide range of gastrointestinal symptoms and disorders, including adverse food reactions and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infections.

Common symptoms of adverse food reactions include abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, hypersensitivity, breathing difficulties, asthma, headaches, migraine, fluid retention, skin rashes, acne, eczema, and psoriasis. They can also cause anxiety, depression, dizziness, fatigue, and lethargy, among others. Some pre-existing conditions associated with adverse food reactions are gastric ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease, arthritis, autism, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Research on gut microbiota has revealed a wealth of data on how gut microbiota influence our body’s system functioning. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), a range of gut microbiota metabolites, have drawn the most attention because of their vital role in aiding illness recovery. It has been shown that herbal remedies can alter gut microbiota composition and control the generation of SCFAs, which is crucial for optimal well-being.