Your digestive system and your emotions are more connected than you think. Mariana Aróstegui, a biologist and nutritionist specializing in digestive health, issues a stark warning: "It is estimated that by 2050, one in two Spaniards will have an allergy." This prediction is grounded in the study of the microbiome, the community of microorganisms living in our gut that regulate everything from digestion to emotional stability.
The Science
"We have lost the ability to digest human food," Aróstegui asserts. It sounds extreme, but consider how young people today can no longer tolerate common foods like zucchini or strawberries. With over 15 years of clinical experience, she explains that each generation loses about 10% of its microbiome biodiversity, diminishing our capacity to process food, defend against pathogens, and adapt to our environment. The problem isn't just what we eat, but how we live.
"The microbiome forms while you are in your mother's womb," she emphasizes. If that mother is already burdened by plastics, antibiotics, or pesticides, the baby starts at a disadvantage. Add a cesarean birth, which bypasses the natural inoculation from vaginal and fecal microbes, and "that baby is already poorly programmed," she warns. But it's not all about birth or diet. The expert insists that "sunlight, natural surroundings, and exposure to environmental microorganisms are key." In other words, living indoors, sterilizing everything with bleach, and obsessing over cleanliness has been a mistake.
