Gut health has become a wellness obsession, but sorting fact from fiction isn’t always easy. In this episode of It’s All Connected, we explore what really supports a healthy gut, why restrictive eating often backfires, and how balance, diversity, and long-term habits matter more than quick fixes. Through science and lived experience, this conversation redefines what it means to truly care for your gut.
Gut health has become a wellness obsession, but sorting fact from fiction isn’t always easy. In this episode of It’s All Connected, we explore what really supports a healthy gut, why restrictive eating often backfires, and how balance, diversity, and long-term habits matter more than quick fixes. Through science and lived experience, this conversation redefines what it means to truly care for your gut.
As a young gastroenterologist, Dr. Mayer found himself fascinated by the intricate connection between the gut and the brain, and the critical role of the gut microbiome. He noticed that many of his patients with digestive issues also struggled with anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. This observation sparked a deep curiosity within him, and he set out on a mission to unravel the mysteries of the brain-gut microbiome system.
Dr. Mayer’s pioneering research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shed light on the profound impact of the gut microbiome on both physical and mental well-being. He discovered that the trillions of microbes residing in our gut play a crucial role in shaping our overall health, from digestion and immunity to mood and cognitive function.
He wrote the bestselling book “The Mind-Gut Connection,” which has empowered countless readers to take control of their health by nurturing the vital link between their gut and their brain.
As a young gastroenterologist, Dr. Mayer found himself fascinated by the intricate connection between the gut and the brain, and the critical role of the gut microbiome. He noticed that many of his patients with digestive issues also struggled with anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. This observation sparked a deep curiosity within him, and he set out on a mission to unravel the mysteries of the brain-gut microbiome system.
Dr. Mayer’s pioneering research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shed light on the profound impact of the gut microbiome on both physical and mental well-being. He discovered that the trillions of microbes residing in our gut play a crucial role in shaping our overall health, from digestion and immunity to mood and cognitive function.
He wrote the bestselling book “The Mind-Gut Connection,” which has empowered countless readers to take control of their health by nurturing the vital link between their gut and their brain.
Holly A. Ingraham, Ph.D., is the Herzstein Endowed Professor in the Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology Dept. at UCSF. Her research focuses on sex differences and hormone-responsive nodes in the brain and peripheral tissues that maintain metabolic, skeletal, and gut physiology in females. Through question-driven basic science, Ingraham aims to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of adaptive responses in female physiology across the lifespan to better understand how hormonal fluctuations during the reproductive and post-reproductive periods impact women’s health. She has made fundamental contributions to the field of hormone signaling and sex-dependent physiological regulatory mechanisms.
For her gut-specific research, she is working to define the gut-brain conduit that propagates intestinal visceral pain syndromes, such as IBS, which disproportionately affects women. After defining EC cells as the major driver of gut pain, her group recently uncovered how estrogen signaling heightens visceral pain.
Holly A. Ingraham, Ph.D., is the Herzstein Endowed Professor in the Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology Dept. at UCSF. Her research focuses on sex differences and hormone-responsive nodes in the brain and peripheral tissues that maintain metabolic, skeletal, and gut physiology in females. Through question-driven basic science, Ingraham aims to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of adaptive responses in female physiology across the lifespan to better understand how hormonal fluctuations during the reproductive and post-reproductive periods impact women’s health. She has made fundamental contributions to the field of hormone signaling and sex-dependent physiological regulatory mechanisms.
For her gut-specific research, she is working to define the gut-brain conduit that propagates intestinal visceral pain syndromes, such as IBS, which disproportionately affects women. After defining EC cells as the major driver of gut pain, her group recently uncovered how estrogen signaling heightens visceral pain.