An interactive map of five everyday health topics and how they link to food, herbs, teas, peptides, and medicines. Follow real relationships and see how strong the evidence is.
Pick a topic to see a short, beginner-friendly explanation and a few meaningful connections. Open "Go deeper" on any connection for the mechanism, practical context, related topics, and research sources.
Digestion vs. gut health
Digestion is the breakdown and absorption of food. Gut health is broader: it also includes the microbes in your intestines, the gut lining, immune signals, and the gut-brain conversation. Good digestion supports gut health, but they are not the same thing. This explorer keeps them as separate starting points on purpose.
Gut health is broader than digestion. It includes the microbiome (the microbes living in your intestines), the gut lining, immune signals, and the gut-brain axis.
How this differs from the others
Where digestion is breakdown and absorption, gut health also covers the microbes that ferment fiber, the barrier that keeps unwanted material out of the blood, and the signals that travel between the gut and the brain.
Gut health / Nutrition
Akkermansia muciniphila improved insulin sensitivity in a human trial, and polyphenol foods (cranberries, green tea) feed it.
Mechanism
Akkermansia strengthens the mucus barrier and stimulates GLP-1 from gut L-cells.
Practical context
Dietary fiber and polyphenols feed keystone strains; this is food-first, not a pill-first approach.
Related topics
Research sources
Nutrition
Glutamine and glycine from bone broth support the gut lining as nutrition.
Mechanism
Glutamine is a preferred fuel for enterocytes; glycine supports collagen and mucus.
Practical context
Daily warm broth is a traditional gut-supportive food.
Related topics
Peptides
Both are studied in animals for gut lining and inflammation. Neither is an approved treatment.
Mechanism
BPC-157 is found in gastric juice; KPV derives from the anti-inflammatory alpha-MSH pathway.
Practical context
Investigational peptides are not substitutes for food and medical care.
Related topics
Research sources
Western medicine
GLP-1 agonists are approved for type 2 diabetes and obesity. They act on a gut-derived signal your body already makes.
Mechanism
They mimic GLP-1 released from gut L-cells, affecting appetite, insulin, and gastric emptying.
Practical context
These are prescription medicines with real benefits and risks; food can support the same pathway gently but does not replace them.
Related topics
Related topic
The gut-brain axis runs both ways: stress affects the gut, and gut signals affect mood.
Mechanism
The vagus nerve and microbial metabolites (like short-chain fatty acids) carry signals between gut and brain.
Practical context
Managing stress is part of gut health, not separate from it.
Related topics
Research sources
Prefer a map view? Open the network to see all five topics and how they connect, with a legend explaining what each connection means.
Every connection carries a label showing the kind of evidence behind it. A label describes the relationship, not a proven treatment benefit.
Established physiology
A well-established biological mechanism or function.
Traditional use
A long history of use in herbal or cultural practice, without modern proof of benefit.
Practitioner experience
Reported by clinicians, but not yet confirmed by strong research.
Human research
Tested in human studies; size and quality vary.
Animal research
Shown in animals or lab models; human effects are not yet established.
Uncertain hypothesis
A reasonable idea that still needs evidence.
Educational, not medical advice. This explorer is for general learning. It does not diagnose, treat, or cure any condition. Investigational peptides are not FDA-approved treatments and are not the same as food or supplements. For personal decisions, talk to a qualified healthcare professional.