What should we eat to boost our immune system? One of the world’s
largest studies on dietary intake and the gut microbiome sheds some light. By Megan Whitby
The key revelation was the identification of 15 ‘good’ and 15 ‘bad’ naturally-occurring gut microbes / SizeSquares/shutterstock
Gut health programmes which improve our microbiome are not new in the spa industry as wellness experts and scientists recognise the links between good bacteria in our intestines. The wide-reaching benefits include improving our heart and metabolic health, helping people who suffer from diabetes and obesity for example, to regulating our hormones.
But Spa Business predicts the ‘food as medicine’ approach, championed by operators such as The Original FX Mayr, Buchinger Wilhelmi, Chenot and Sha Wellness, will boom in popularity as consumers recognise how essential the microbe community in our bowel is for developing our immunity, defending us against pathogens and for our brain function/mental health.
Findings from new studies like Predict, one of the first to take a deep look at dietary intake and its effect on the gut microbiome and health outcomes, could further strengthen spa offerings.
The study, published in Nature Medicine in January, monitored the gut microbiome composition, diet and cardiometabolic blood markers of 1,100 participants from the US and UK, and is one of the world’s largest research projects investigating individual responses to food.
The key revelation was the identification of 15 ‘good’ and 15 ‘bad’ naturally-occurring gut microbes that can correlate with key markers of health status in a positive or negative fashion, including inflammation, blood pressure, blood sugar control and weight.
Results showed diets fuelled by fibre-rich, whole and unprocessed food support the growth of the good microbes, while diets containing a higher concentration of processed foods with added sugar and salt, promote bad gut bacteria associated with illnesses.
This indicates we have control over our gut microbiome and can positively impact our future health outcomes by changing what we eat, explains Dr Sarah Berry, study co-author and epidemiologist at Kings College London.
“Surprisingly, findings also suggested that due to the personalised nature of the microbiome, a personalised approach to what you eat for your unique biology is the best way to positively impact your health,” she adds.
“I’m excited to share this research as our findings show how little of the microbiome is predetermined by genes and therefore how much is modifiable by diet, how we may be able to modify it by diet and how this may impact our subsequent health.”
Dr Sarah Berry, an epidemiologist from Kings College London,
was the study co-author
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2021 issue 2
Spa people: Adrian Zecha
Adrian Zecha talks about his latest brands and why he's not planning retirement anytime soon
Spa people: Michala Chatel
Ultima Collection's managing partner explains why and how it's adding wellness options to exclusively rented villas and properties
Spa people: Stephanie Stahl
The Ace of Air co-founder tackles sustainability head on with a 'buy the product rent the packaging' scheme
Menu engineering: At your service
Art and sauna bathing collide in a Japanese exhibition; Banyan Tree rolls out its Wellbeing Sanctuary concept globally
Top team: Capella
Neena Dhillon talks to the owning company and senior executives from this burgeoning Asian hospitality brand with a passion for wellness
Ask an Expert: Treating Long COVID
One in 20 people who've had coronavirus are still battling its side effects for three months or more. How can spas help?
Promotion: Art of Cryo: Cool night's sleep
High-performance cryo chamber specialist Art of Cryo joins forces with leading bed manufacturer Samina to launch cryo centres for sleep health
Interview: Stelian Iacob
Therme Group's COO tells Katie Barnes how it's making the traditional thermal facility model more relevant to today's consumers
First person: Yasuragi
Spas in Sweden stayed open in the pandemic, but does the nation still have an appetite for wellness? Andrew Gibson investigates at this Japanese concept spa hotel near Stockholm
Interview: Tammy Pahel
The VP of spa at Carillon Miami candidly shares some of the challenges of the past year with Lisa Starr and explains why she's investing in touchless innovations
Spa survey: Wellness time
A new consumer survey shows how people's attitudes towards wellness and spas have changed. Mindbody's Katherine Wernet
Focus on: IV nutrition therapy
Is IV nutrition therapy as credible as some spas claim? Lisa Starr investigates this increasingly popular treatment
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
What should we eat to boost our immune system? One of the world’s
largest studies on dietary intake and the gut microbiome sheds some light. By Megan Whitby
The key revelation was the identification of 15 ‘good’ and 15 ‘bad’ naturally-occurring gut microbes / SizeSquares/shutterstock
Gut health programmes which improve our microbiome are not new in the spa industry as wellness experts and scientists recognise the links between good bacteria in our intestines. The wide-reaching benefits include improving our heart and metabolic health, helping people who suffer from diabetes and obesity for example, to regulating our hormones.
But Spa Business predicts the ‘food as medicine’ approach, championed by operators such as The Original FX Mayr, Buchinger Wilhelmi, Chenot and Sha Wellness, will boom in popularity as consumers recognise how essential the microbe community in our bowel is for developing our immunity, defending us against pathogens and for our brain function/mental health.
Findings from new studies like Predict, one of the first to take a deep look at dietary intake and its effect on the gut microbiome and health outcomes, could further strengthen spa offerings.
The study, published in Nature Medicine in January, monitored the gut microbiome composition, diet and cardiometabolic blood markers of 1,100 participants from the US and UK, and is one of the world’s largest research projects investigating individual responses to food.
The key revelation was the identification of 15 ‘good’ and 15 ‘bad’ naturally-occurring gut microbes that can correlate with key markers of health status in a positive or negative fashion, including inflammation, blood pressure, blood sugar control and weight.
Results showed diets fuelled by fibre-rich, whole and unprocessed food support the growth of the good microbes, while diets containing a higher concentration of processed foods with added sugar and salt, promote bad gut bacteria associated with illnesses.
This indicates we have control over our gut microbiome and can positively impact our future health outcomes by changing what we eat, explains Dr Sarah Berry, study co-author and epidemiologist at Kings College London.
“Surprisingly, findings also suggested that due to the personalised nature of the microbiome, a personalised approach to what you eat for your unique biology is the best way to positively impact your health,” she adds.
“I’m excited to share this research as our findings show how little of the microbiome is predetermined by genes and therefore how much is modifiable by diet, how we may be able to modify it by diet and how this may impact our subsequent health.”
Dr Sarah Berry, an epidemiologist from Kings College London,
was the study co-author
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2021 issue 2
Spa people: Adrian Zecha
Adrian Zecha talks about his latest brands and why he's not planning retirement anytime soon
Spa people: Michala Chatel
Ultima Collection's managing partner explains why and how it's adding wellness options to exclusively rented villas and properties
Spa people: Stephanie Stahl
The Ace of Air co-founder tackles sustainability head on with a 'buy the product rent the packaging' scheme
Menu engineering: At your service
Art and sauna bathing collide in a Japanese exhibition; Banyan Tree rolls out its Wellbeing Sanctuary concept globally
Top team: Capella
Neena Dhillon talks to the owning company and senior executives from this burgeoning Asian hospitality brand with a passion for wellness
Ask an Expert: Treating Long COVID
One in 20 people who've had coronavirus are still battling its side effects for three months or more. How can spas help?
Promotion: Art of Cryo: Cool night's sleep
High-performance cryo chamber specialist Art of Cryo joins forces with leading bed manufacturer Samina to launch cryo centres for sleep health
Interview: Stelian Iacob
Therme Group's COO tells Katie Barnes how it's making the traditional thermal facility model more relevant to today's consumers
First person: Yasuragi
Spas in Sweden stayed open in the pandemic, but does the nation still have an appetite for wellness? Andrew Gibson investigates at this Japanese concept spa hotel near Stockholm
Interview: Tammy Pahel
The VP of spa at Carillon Miami candidly shares some of the challenges of the past year with Lisa Starr and explains why she's investing in touchless innovations
Spa survey: Wellness time
A new consumer survey shows how people's attitudes towards wellness and spas have changed. Mindbody's Katherine Wernet
Focus on: IV nutrition therapy
Is IV nutrition therapy as credible as some spas claim? Lisa Starr investigates this increasingly popular treatment
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
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