Finding gut health at the supermarket

In a landscape saturated with wellness trends, the subject of gut health seems to soldier on—inspiring everyone from researchers to wellness gurus to study it and advocate diets focussed on it. Which is why, as Appasani says, “a healthy gut is vital for proper digestion, absorption of nutrients, and plays a key role in supporting overall immune function.” Besides staving chronic ailments and allergies, good gut health has been linked to alleviating conditions such as depression and anxiety. “I prioritise maintaining a healthy gut, so when I shop at my neighbourhood supermarket, I make it a point to buy fermented foods such as kimchi and yogurt,” he says adding that he shops for products like kimchi, kefir and sauerkraut as ‘a well-balanced gut contributes to my overall well-being.’ Abhishek Gupta, marketing head, FIWA, has been observing the trend of retails chains in the country implementing various strategies to cater to health-conscious consumers. “The partnership aims to provide personalized diagnostics focusing on gut health and key markers to empower individuals with informed choices for proactive healthcare,” she says. Integrative nutritionist and gut health coach Sheetal Bansal foresees Indian supermarkets and grocery stores becoming wellness enablers in the future.