THE EXPERT
TIM SPECTOR is Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and microbiome expert at King’s College London, and author of new book Spoon-Fed: Why Almost Everything You’ve Been Told About Food Is Wrong (Jonathan Cape, £12.99).
We’re far more in touch with our guts than we used to be. The chances are you know that having a diverse microbiome – the community of bugs that lives in your gut – is important for digestive health, helping you recover after a bout of food poisoning, and tackling issues such as bloating and constipation. But recent research shows these bugs may play an important role in a range of other ways, including controlling allergies and autoimmune diseases, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes and lowering the risk of depression.