Gut Health Influencer Attributes Everything From Mood To Traffic To Microbiome

A gut health influencer with 1.2 million followers has published a video attributing her improved mood, clearer skin, better sleep, reduced anxiety, enhanced creativity, and an unusually smooth morning commute to changes in her gut microbiome following a week of probiotic supplementation. Ashley Biome, 29, who describes herself as a "gut-brain axis educator," posted the video on Tuesday morning from her car, speaking directly to the camera while parked at what she described as "every green light on my route, which is a microbiome thing." "Your gut is your second brain," Biome told her followers. "When your microbiome is thriving, everything flows. Your digestion flows. Your mood flows. Your creativity flows. Traffic flows. I hit every green light this morning. That's alignment. That's gut health." The video, which has been viewed 800,000 times, goes on to connect intestinal bacteria to Biome's ability to parallel park on the first attempt, the quality of a sunset she observed, and her conviction that her house plant "looks healthier since I started my probiotic protocol." Gastroenterologist Dr. Samuel Flora reviewed the video at the request of a reporter. "The gut-brain axis is real and well-documented," he said. "There is emerging evidence that the microbiome influences mood, cognition, and immune function. There is no evidence that it influences traffic signals, parallel parking, or the photosynthetic vigor of houseplants." Biome's probiotic protocol, which she sells through her website for $78 per month, contains eight bacterial strains and is manufactured by a company that also produces her branded fermented foods line and a series of online courses collectively titled "Gut Feelings: The Microbiome Masterclass." When asked whether she has any financial incentive to attribute positive life outcomes to gut health, Biome responded: "I have a financial incentive to share the truth. The truth is that my gut told me to start this business, and I listened. That's the gut-brain axis in action." She hit a red light on the way home. She did not post about it.