The Complete Gut Health Compendium
The Complete Gut Health Compendium
A curated, continually updated library of Flore's gut-health research and guides — organized by topic so you can go from a single question to a personalized answer. Every article below is written and reviewed by the Flore team and links back to the science of building a probiotic from your own gut data.
- Fiber & Prebiotic Foods
- Prebiotics & Probiotics 101
- Probiotic Strains
- Fermented Foods & Drinks
- Candida & Yeast Overgrowth
- Parasites & Worms
- Harmful Gut Microbes
- GERD, Reflux & Gastritis
- Antacids & Acid
- Food Sensitivities & Allergies
- Gluten
- Gut Symptoms & Conditions
- Cleansing, Constipation & Stool
- Foods & Supplements for Gut Health
- Iron & Zinc
- Water & Digestion
- Gut Health in the Media
Fiber & Prebiotic Foods
Fiber is the single most powerful lever for feeding a healthy gut microbiome. Start here to understand the different types of dietary fiber, the difference between soluble and insoluble, and which fermentable, prebiotic fibers your good bacteria love most.
- The different types of dietary fiber, explainedSoluble vs. insoluble, fermentable fiber foods, and prebiotic fiber — what fiber actually is and how it feeds your gut.
- The 10 best prebiotic foods for gut healthEveryday foods richest in the prebiotic fiber your microbiome ferments into beneficial compounds.
Prebiotics & Probiotics 101
Prebiotics, probiotics, CFUs — the basics everyone gets confused about. Learn what each term really means, why pairing prebiotics with probiotics matters, and whether a higher CFU count is actually better.
- Prebiotics vs. probiotics: getting the most from your probioticsHow prebiotics and probiotics work together as a synbiotic.
- What is CFU — and is a higher CFU probiotic count better?How much CFU you actually need, and why the biggest number isn't always best.
Probiotic Strains
Not all probiotic bacteria are the same. Different strains do different jobs — here's a closer look at one of the most-studied genera and what it does for your gut.
- What does Lactobacillus do for your gut?A plain-language guide to the Lactobacillus probiotic genus and its role in digestion and immunity.
Fermented Foods & Drinks
Fermented foods and drinks deliver live cultures and beneficial acids straight to your gut. Here's how they support your microbiome — from kombucha to apple cider vinegar.
- How fermented foods support a healthy gut microbiomeWhy fermented foods are one of the easiest ways to diversify your gut bacteria.
- Kombucha: the super drink for your gut?What kombucha actually does for digestion — and what it doesn't.
- Apple cider vinegar: key to your gut health?The evidence behind ACV for digestion and gut balance.
Candida & Yeast Overgrowth
Candida is a yeast that lives in everyone's gut — but an overgrowth can drive a cascade of symptoms. Learn how to recognize it, what a candida gut test can tell you, and how to get rid of candida overgrowth.
- How to get rid of candida overgrowthA practical, microbiome-first approach to restoring balance.
- Candida gut test: how to know for certain if your symptoms point to candida overgrowthCandida gut testing options and the tell-tale signs of candida.
Parasites & Worms
Parasite symptoms are easy to miss and more common than most people think. Learn how to recognize the signs of parasites in your body — and how parasitic infections affect your gut.
- Parasite symptoms: the signs of parasites in your bodyAn in-depth guide to the common symptoms of intestinal worms and parasites, and what to do next.
Harmful Gut Microbes
A healthy gut keeps harmful bacteria in check. Here are the bad microbes that may already be living in your gut — and why knowing your microbiome composition matters.
- Top 10 common bad microbes that may already be living in your gutThe pathobionts and harmful bacteria worth watching — and how sequencing reveals them.
GERD, Reflux & Gastritis
Heartburn, burping, reflux and gastritis all trace back to your upper GI tract and its microbial balance. Understand the differences — and how probiotics may help.
- Is there a difference between gastritis and GERD?Two conditions that feel similar but need different approaches.
- Probiotics for burping and heartburn: the gut-gas connectionHow the right strains can ease excess burping and reflux symptoms.
Antacids & Acid
Reaching for antacids regularly? They may be doing more to your gut than you realize.
- Antacids: are they destroying your gut?How long-term acid suppression affects your microbiome and digestion.
Food Sensitivities & Allergies
Bloating, discomfort, or worse after meals? Food sensitivities, allergies, and lactose intolerance all involve the gut — and the bacteria living in it.
- The 8 most common food sensitivities (and how probiotics can help)Telling sensitivities apart from allergies, and the microbiome's role.
- Common types of food allergiesDairy, gluten and the other major food allergies explained.
- Lactose intolerance: the bacteria that cause it and how to treat itWhy lactose intolerance is really a microbiome story.
Gluten
Avoiding gluten is harder than it looks. Here are the hidden sources that catch people off guard.
- 5 hidden sources of gluten in foodsWhere gluten hides — even in foods you'd never suspect.
Gut Symptoms & Conditions
From trapped wind and bad breath to IBS and mood, gut symptoms show up in surprising places. Learn to read what your body is telling you about your microbiome.
- Common symptoms of an underlying gut problemThe signals that point to dysbiosis or imbalance.
- 7 simple ways to relieve trapped windFast, practical relief for gas and bloating.
- 10 stomach problems that cause bad breathFrom bad breath and diarrhea to a strange taste in your mouth — when bad breath starts in the gut, not the mouth.
- 5 tips for an effective IBS gut cleanseA gentler, microbiome-aware approach to managing IBS.
- How your gut affects your mental healthThe gut-brain axis and why mood and digestion are linked.
Cleansing, Constipation & Stool
Constipation, colon cleanses, and what your stool color is telling you — including what it means if your poop is green — here's how to support regularity without wrecking your gut.
- Colon cleanse or laxative: do laxatives cleanse your colon?The 3 key differences between a colon cleanse and laxatives, and which is gentler on your microbiome.
- Natural stool softeners to combat constipationFood-first ways to stay regular.
- Why is my poop green? What green poop color meansWhat it means if your poop is green, and what stool color reveals about your digestion and gut.
Foods & Supplements for Gut Health
Some foods and supplements pull real weight for your microbiome. Here's the evidence on mushrooms, ashwagandha, dark chocolate, fruit, bananas, fats, and fasting.
- The best mushrooms for gut healthMushrooms and gut health: the functional varieties and their prebiotic, immune-supporting benefits.
- Unlocking the gut-healing powers of ashwagandhaHow this adaptogen interacts with stress and the gut.
- 5 underrated dark chocolate health benefitsThe polyphenols in dark chocolate your gut bacteria love.
- The top 7 gut-healthy fruits to eatFiber- and polyphenol-rich fruits for a thriving microbiome.
- Green bananas: are they good for your gut?The resistant starch in green bananas and why ripeness matters.
- Are saturated fats good or bad? Your gut knowsHow dietary fat shapes your microbial balance.
- Can you repair cells with intermittent fasting?Fasting, autophagy, and what it means for your gut.
Iron & Zinc
Key minerals like iron and zinc are absorbed in the gut and influence your microbiome. Here's why they matter and where to get them.
- 4 amazing health benefits of ironWhy iron status and gut health go hand in hand.
- Top 35 vegan zinc-rich foodsZinc-rich foods for vegetarians and vegans — plant-based ways to hit your zinc needs.
Water & Digestion
Hydration and water quality both affect digestion and your gut microbiome. A couple of small changes can make a real difference.
- 11 digestive-boosting ingredients for your waterSimple add-ins that support digestion.
- Tap water vs. filtered water: does it make a difference in your gut?What's in your water and how it may affect your microbiome.
Gut Health in the Media
Gut health has gone mainstream. Here's our take on one of the most-talked-about documentaries on the microbiome.
- Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut — Netflix's documentary, reviewedWhat the film gets right about the microbiome, and where personalization comes in.
Stop guessing. Build a probiotic from your gut data.
Reading about gut health is a great start — but your microbiome is unique to you. Flore sequences your gut, then crafts personalized probiotics from up to 68 curated strains and 40+ prebiotics, made to order for your results and your goals.