The three typical supermarket items that an Australian gut health expert refuses to keep in his family’s kitchen have been disclosed. The expert cautions that many products that are labelled as “healthy” may actually be negatively affecting people’s gut health without their knowledge.
By simplifying the science behind digestion, ultra-processed foods, and the microbiome, Dr. Paul Froomes, a microbiome physician and gastroenterology at The Microbiome Clinic in Melbourne, has amassed a big internet audience.
He has now revealed the three items that he claims never end up in his cart: “These are the three things you’ll never see in my family’s kitchen.” Not because I’m severe… He explained, “It’s because I am fully aware of what they do to your gut.”
Flavoured children’s yoghurts, especially the vibrantly coloured pouches and tubs promoted as healthy lunchbox essentials, are at the top of his list.
In a video, he clarified, “Most are desserts with a vitamin printed on the label.”
Dr. Froomes claims that a lot of them include a lot of added sugar, artificial colouring, and emulsifiers.
The microbiome, the trillions of bacteria that reside in the digestive system and are essential for everything from immunity to digestion, may be adversely affected by those substances.
Dr. Paul Froomes works as a gastroenterologist and microbiome specialist at The Microbiome Clinic in Melbourne.
Many flavoured children’s yoghurts, according to Dr. Froomes, include a lot of added sugar, artificial colouring, and emulsifiers. “Emulsifiers like polysorbate-80 have been shown to thin the mucus layer of the gut,” he said. “And all the wrong microbes are fed by the sugars and artificial colours.”
With growing evidence connecting the microbiome to mood, inflammation, metabolism, and even mental health, gut health has emerged as one of the major wellness fads in the world in recent years.
Because of this, the number of items on supermarket shelves that promote immunity, digestion, and “wellness” has skyrocketed. However, experts point out that deceptive marketing frequently makes it difficult to distinguish between highly processed snacks disguised as health products and truly nutritious foods.
Dr. Froomes also stays away from sugar-free soft drinks and “diet” drinks.
“Aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin can alter the microbiome in as little as two weeks,” he added, despite the fact that many consumers see them as a healthier option to sugary drinks.
Even while these beverages are promoted as “better-for-you” choices, he continued, some research has connected artificial sweeteners to glucose intolerance, a condition in which the body has trouble processing sugar.The beverage that is promoted as a healthy option begins to act like sugar in your body, he claimed.
Packaged snack bars, such as granola bars, protein bars, and muesli bars, are the last section of the store that he completely avoids.
Products like protein bars and flavoured yoghurts, which promise health, energy, and convenience all at once, have become everyday staples for busy Australians. “They’re what we call ultra-processed products with very clever marketing teams,” he said.
Many bars marketed as convenient health meals, according to Dr. Froomes, are loaded with emulsifiers, sugar alcohols, seed oils, and lengthy ingredient lists that don’t really resemble whole foods.
Products like protein bars and flavoured yoghurts, which offer health, energy, and convenience all at once, have become daily staples for busy Australians. They may be used as quick breakfast options, lunchbox fillers, or post-workout snacks.
However, nutritionists are increasingly cautioning that overly processed foods may appear far healthier than they actually are due to “health halo” marketing.
Packaging frequently uses terms like “high protein,” “low sugar,” “natural,” and “gut friendly,” but the tiny print reveals a more nuanced picture.
However, Dr. Froomes emphasised that gut health is more about long-term routines than perfection. “This isn’t about perfection – it’s about pattern,” he said. “If your family eats whole, real food 80% of the time, the odd treat won’t matter.”However, it’s worth reconsidering if these three are consistently present.
- Sugar-filled probiotic yoghurts: the sugar negates the probiotics’ potential benefits.
- Regular honey that has been pasteurised to eradicate all living bacteria (replace it with raw, unfiltered honey).
- Kombuchas made commercially that conceal artificial sweeteners behind a “no sugar” claim.
- Muesli bars that contain a list of preservatives, eight grams of sugar, and about two grams of fibre.
- Apples—not because they’re unhealthy, but rather because their skin is covered in chemicals and then covered in wax. Peel them if you plan to consume them.
- Grass-fed meatballs: The ingredients list reveals a lot of additives, despite the label’s clean appearance. Here, the pattern is straightforward. The ingredients contradict what the marketing claims. Instead of reading the front of the package, read the back.
- Flavoured kids’ yoghurts with cartoon characters, colourful packaging, and pouches. The majority are desserts that have a vitamin listed on the label. It is essentially a breakfast dessert that disrupts the microbiota since emulsifiers like polysorbate-80 have been shown to weaken the mucus layer of the stomach and the sugars and artificial colours feed all the wrong microorganisms.
- Dietary and sugar-free beverages. In as little as two weeks, aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin can change the microbiome, and some research has connected them to glucose intolerance—the exact reverse of what they are advertised for.
- The aisle of packaged health bars. Seed oils, emulsifiers, sugar alcohols, and an ingredient list that resembles a chemical test can be found when you turn over granola bars, protein bars, and muesli bars. ultra-processed goods with minimal nutrients and excellent marketing.
