Do Fermented Foods, Fiber & Probiotics Improve Your Gut Health? | Maria Marco

One of the world's leading food microbiologists just told me that the word probiotic on a jar of sauerkraut is, in her words, "just a marketing thing." The same goes for most kimchi and kombucha on the shelf. Live microbes and probiotics are not the same thing, and the difference matters every time you read a label. ▶ New full episodes every Monday – subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@TheProofWithSimonHill?sub_confirmation=1 Visit The Proof website for the full show notes and supporting studies: https://theproof.com/podcast/ Simon's personal supplement stack: https://hub.theproof.com/supplements Dr Maria Marco is a Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at UC Davis, President of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, and the author of more than 135 peer-reviewed papers. She has spent nearly two decades studying fermented foods, probiotics, and how diet shapes the gut microbiome. She also spent a year working with an expert panel of clinicians, dieticians, immunologists, and neurobiologists to answer a deceptively simple question: what is gut health? - The consensus definition of gut health, and why so much of it still cannot be measured - Whether commercial microbiome stool tests and diversity scores tell you anything clinically meaningful - The difference between a live microbe and a probiotic, and the one fermented food where you are most likely to find a real one - What the Stanford fermented foods study actually showed, the problem with running nutrition trials in healthy people, and the kimchi trial Maria is running now - What a review of 37 human studies found on fermented dairy and gut health - Whether the microbes in dairy and plant-based yoghurts survive digestion, and whether they colonise your gut - Why pasteurised and dead microbes may still be doing something useful 00:00 What Actually Counts as a Probiotic 06:36 How Experts Finally Defined Gut Health 09:45 What Gut Microbiome Tests Can't Tell You 13:33 Do Probiotic Supplements Actually Work 17:28 Does Sauerkraut Really Have Probiotics 26:08 How to Know If Your Gut Is Healthy 30:24 What the Stanford Fermented Food Study Missed 34:04 How Fermentation Detoxifies Your Food 38:09 37 Studies on Fermented Dairy and Gut Health 49:02 What a Microbiologist Eats Every Week 54:43 Does Washing Produce Remove Good Microbes 58:14 The Worst Things for Your Gut Health To connect with Dr Maria Marco, visit https://marcolab.ucdavis.edu/, find her on https://www.linkedin.com/in/marialmarco/, or follow her lab's work on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eat.lac.project/. This episode is brought to you by: 38TERA 38TERA’s BDR is a clinically dosed gut health supplement for improved digestion, less bloating, better bowel movements and a healthier microbiome. Head to https://38tera.com/?ref=SIMON and use code THEPROOF for a discount at checkout. 38Tera ships to the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. IM8 With 92 nutrients, including Vitamin B12, Iodine, Selenium and Vitamin D, in highly absorbable forms, IM8 Daily Essentials is the perfect all-in-one daily multi-vitamin to ensure you meet your daily micronutrient needs. IM8 is offering an exclusive 10% off your first order with a free welcome kit when you enter the promo code SIMON at checkout on http://im8health.com/. IM8 ships to 27 countries including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, and many regions across Europe, Asia, and South America. Function Health Take charge of your health with advanced blood testing and personalised insights. Function Health offers a practical way to track key health markers such as cholesterol, blood sugar, and more. Learn more and join at http://functionhealth.com/simonhill for a $25 credit toward your membership. Only available to those living in the United States. Function Health ships to 48 U.S. states, excluding Rhode Island, Hawai‘i, and Puerto Rico. LMNT Stay hydrated with LMNT. Get a free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at http://drinklmnt.com/SIMON. Find your favourite LMNT flavour, or share with a friend. And if you don’t like it? Full refund, no questions asked. LMNT ships to the U.S. and Canada, with sparkling flavors available only in the contiguous U.S. SwimClub SwimClub is a science-backed supplement designed to support male fertility, sperm health, and reproductive wellness. Head to http://swimclub.co/theproof to get 25% off your first order with code THEPROOF. WHOOP Whoop, the most advanced fitness and health wearable available. Your personalised fitness and health coach to recover faster, sleep better, and train smarter. Claim your first month free on http://join.whoop.com/simon. Whoop ships to 56+ international markets, including the US, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Singapore, and parts of Asia.