Ayurveda and Gut Health: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Innovation

I’m Jasmine Hemsley, a health and wellbeing expert with a deep fascination for the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda - especially how it relates to what we now understand as gut health. I’d love to share a little about Ayurveda, how we can weave its principles and rituals into our daily lives, and how modern, innovative supplements can support our wellbeing in a holistic way.

Our gut is the gateway to whole-body health. Both ancient Ayurvedic wisdom and modern science agree: the state of your gut doesn’t just determine what you digest or absorb – it influences everything from your mental health and immunity to your energy levels, hormones, and sleep. It also affects your food preferences, shaping how you taste and what you crave. 

When your gut ecosystem is thriving, your whole body benefits. But when it’s out of balance, the effects ripple everywhere: bloating, irregular digestion, brain fog, fatigue, skin flare-ups, low immunity, mood swings, hormonal shifts, and disrupted appetite signals. 

In Ayurveda, this connection has been understood for thousands of years. Guiding it all is the principle of Agni (or, more technically speaking, Jatharagni): your digestive fire. Learning how to support Agni and nurture the terrain of your gut is the foundation for vibrant health, inside and out.

 

Ayurveda, Agni & the Importance of Gut Health

Ayurveda, often called “the science of life,” is a 5,000-year-old holistic system of wellbeing from India. Rooted in the harmonious balance of mind, body, and spirit, Ayurveda views human health as deeply interconnected with nature and shaped by our environment.Everything from your thoughts and food to your daily habits, sleep, and even the seasons affects this delicate balance.

At the centre of this wisdom lies Agni, the metabolic fire responsible for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste. When Agni is balanced, you’re at ease; you thrive. When it’s weak, toxins (Ama) accumulate. When it’s overactive, it can “burn through” nutrients before your body has a chance to absorb them. In both cases, imbalance leads to dis-ease.

Modern science mirrors this beautifully. The gut microbiome, the trillions of microbes living in your digestive tract, is essential for digestion, metabolism, immunity, hormonal balance, mental wellbeing, and energy. When this ecosystem is supported, we flourish. When it’s inflamed or compromised, we feel it everywhere.

In essence, Agni is Ayurveda’s timeless way of describing what modern science calls healthy gut function, metabolic balance, and microbiome harmony.

Understanding the Terrain: A Holistic View

Ayurveda’s brilliance lies in its focus on the terrain, strengthening the body’s internal environment to make it resilient and self-protecting. It’s the ultimate “prevention over cure” philosophy, rather than just fighting off external “invaders.”

Think of your gut like a garden: when the soil is rich, balanced, and nourished, plants flourish. When the soil dries out, is stripped of nutrients, or overfed, weeds take over and everything struggles to grow.

This is where modern gut science is catching up. While many approaches focus solely on adding live probiotics, these delicate organisms often fail to survive stomach acid or thrive long-term. Ayurveda teaches us to strengthen the terrain instead, restoring balance so the microbiome naturally flourishes.

East Meets West: The Gut-Mind-Body Connection

Ayurveda has long taught that physical health, emotional balance, and mental clarity begin in the gut, an idea science now calls the gut-brain axis.

Incredibly, around 95% of serotonin (the “feel-good” neurotransmitter) is produced in the gut, meaning your microbiome directly influences mood, stress resilience, sleep quality, and even creativity. Neural, hormonal, and immune pathways constantly communicate between gut and brain, shaping how we feel and function.

When digestion is sluggish, inflamed, or overloaded, it affects far more than your stomach, your nervous system, immunity, hormones, and emotional wellbeing all feel the impact.

This is why Ayurveda emphasises circadian living, mindful eating, seasonal balance, and daily rituals to support a healthy gut-mind connection.

Why Gut Health Matters More Than Ever

Today, our guts face the strain from:

• Processed and ultra‑refined foods

• Chronic stress and overstimulation

• Environmental toxins and pollution

• Overuse of antibiotics and certain medications

• Irregular mealtimes and late‑night eating

• Disrupted or poor-quality sleep

• Disrespecting our natural circadian rhythm - we are circadian creatures, designed to live in harmony with the rising and setting of the sun. When we stay up late, skip morning light, or eat heavy meals long after sunset, it confuses our body’s internal clock, weakening Agni and disrupting digestion, energy, and hormonal balance.

All of these factors place pressure on our digestive fire and disturb the gut’s delicate ecosystem. Over time, they can lead to sluggish or aggravated digestion, bloating, cravings, low energy, mood imbalances, poor skin and weakened immunity. These symptoms are messages from the body that it’s time to realign with our natural rhythms and nourish our inner terrain.

True Biome: Where Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Innovation

This is why I’m a big fan of Ancient + Brave, who innovate with products that harness the power of nature while respecting ancient traditions. Their latest creation, True Biome, is a groundbreaking gut health formula developed with Director of Science and Innovation at Ancient + Brave Dr. Jenna Macciochi, an immunologist specialising in the gut-immune connection.

Instead of focusing on live probiotics, which are notoriously fragile and often don’t survive the journey to your gut, True Biome focuses on strengthening the terrain and creating the right conditions for your microbiome to thrive.

Its triple-action formula:

• Feeds your beneficial bacteria with (PHGG) is a gentle, low-FODMAP prebiotic fibre, that feeds your beneficial bacteria and fuels the production of short-chain fatty acids like butyrate - key for supporting gut lining integrity and overall microbial harmony. 

• Repairs the gut lining with L-glutamine, an amino acid that plays a vital role in maintaining the structural integrity of the gut wall, supporting barrier strength and resilience.

• Protects and regulates immune responses with HK L-137, a shelf-stable postbiotic compound derived from fermented foods, studied for gut-brain communication and immune balance.

This gentle, daily approach to healthcare offers 360° care for your gut, supporting immunity, mood, digestion, and energy. 

My Daily Ritual With True Biome

True Biome fits seamlessly into my lifestyle, which is why it’s become part of my morning routine - the fine, tasteless powder dissolving effortlessly into warm water, herbal tea, or even a creamy tonic. I keep it on my kitchen counter where I can see it - a daily, gentle visual reminder to prioritise my gut health, and when I‘m out and about I take a couple of sachets in my bag so I never miss a day.

Pairing True Biome with my Ayurvedic self-care practices, such as tongue scraping, oil pulling, mindful breathing, and seasonal, warm meals, helps me maintain balance and resilience. And during busy times it’s one of the easiest things to keep up with when everything else has to take a backseat!

How to Support Your Gut Daily, The Ayurvedic Way

Alongside True Biome, here are some simple yet powerful Ayurvedic practices for gut health:

• Eat freshly cooked, seasonal foods - prioritise warm, easy-to-digest meals and leave at least 3 hours between eating to support digestion

• Follow your body clock - have your largest meal at lunchtime when digestion is strongest

• Sip warm water or herbal teas - hydration without dampening Agni

• Chew mindfully and be present - digestion begins with the senses and saliva

• Reset stress daily - meditation, breathwork, and sound baths soothe the nervous system

• Rest and restore - aim for early, light suppers and quality sleep for overnight repair

Your gut isn’t just where digestion happens, it’s the control centre for your entire wellbeing. Ayurveda understood this thousands of years ago, and modern research is finally catching up. By supporting your Agni and creating a healthy gut terrain, you’re investing in long-term resilience.

For me, adding True Biome to my daily ritual has been an effortless way to combine Ayurveda’s timeless wisdom with modern breakthroughs so I can nurture my gut, my mind, and my overall wellbeing.

Because when your gut thrives, you thrive.

Jasmine Hemsley’s - Brave Biome Boost Smoothie

This smoothie is crafted to gently support gut health with a blend of soothing, nourishing ingredients. Turmeric and black pepper ease inflammation, while coconut calms the digestive tract, provides fibre, and naturally balances gut flora. Yoghurt delivers live probiotics, banana adds prebiotic support, and soaked chia seeds bring extra fibre and omegas. Warming spices aid digestion and reduce bloating, a pinch of salt helps with absorption, and by avoiding ice or excess raw foods, the recipe keeps digestive fire strong for optimal gut function.

Ingredients (serves 1–2)

• 200ml live coconut yoghurt (probiotic with healthy fats for microbiome, plant based)

• 150ml room-temperature water (or coconut water for extra hydration)

• ½ ripe banana (ripe = sweet, easier to digest, natural prebiotic for the gut)

• Turmeric and black pepper (anti-inflammatory, supports gut lining, black pepper enhances absorption)

• ½ tsp ground cardamom (cooling, soothing for digestion)

• ½ tsp ground ginger (for a little digestive spark)

• 1 tsp raw honey (sweetness that’s gentle on digestion — add after blending if using honey)

• Pinch of rock salt or pink salt (balances flavour and supports electrolyte balance)

• Plus 1 Ritual Scoop of True Biome

Method

• Add coconut yoghurt, water, soaked chia, banana, spices and salt to a blender.

• Blend until smooth and creamy.

• Stir in honey at the end (Ayurveda says never heat honey, so add it after blending if blades get hot).

• Sip slowly and 'chew'/eat with a spoon at room temperature.