Gut Health Over 40: Tiny Health’s Microbiome, Longevity, and Resilience
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Cheryl Sew Hoy - CEO of "Tiny Health"
Socials: @Tiny.Heatlh
Podcast Summary: Brad Williams (Over 40 Fitness Hacks) welcomed Cheryl, founder of Tiny Health, after first learning about her company through Crowd Health. Brad shared his personal journey with gut testing, food allergies, and how microbiome awareness changed his approach to health. He also mentioned his recent Tiny Health score of 82/100, which outperformed his family’s results.
Cheryl (age 42, mom of three) founded Tiny Health after her first child, born via C-section, developed eczema and food allergies linked to disrupted microbiome colonization.
Determined to prevent the same issues, she researched microbiome science and saw improved outcomes with her next two children (both vaginal births, no allergies).
Tiny Health began with a focus on baby gut health but was always designed to expand into longevity and adult health, supporting people through all stages of life.
Today, Tiny Health powers gut testing not only for families but also for longevity clinics, health assessment companies, and even the Mayo Clinic.
Microbiome Importance: 80% of the immune system is housed in the gut. Early life gut balance impacts long-term immune strength, allergy risk, metabolic health, and autoimmune conditions.
Technology Advantage: Traditional stool tests (PCR) only detect targeted pathogens, while Tiny Health uses metagenomic sequencing to capture a complete, functional view of the microbiome, including beneficial bacteria and pathways.
Scoring & Metrics: Results include overall gut scores, resilience scores, antibiotic resistance, and insights into digestion, immune function, and hormone regulation.
Supplements vs. Food:
Supplements can help correct imbalances short-term, but lasting gut health requires prebiotic fibers and diverse whole foods.
Fermented foods and polyphenol-rich foods (like berries) boost diversity and resilience.
Leaky Gut Explained: The gut lining acts like a castle wall; without enough butyrate (produced by fiber-digesting bacteria), food particles and pathogens can cross, triggering immune responses and food sensitivities.
Resilience & Recovery: Antibiotics, infections, or travel (“Bali belly”) can disrupt the microbiome for months or longer. Retesting 4–6 weeks after such events helps measure recovery.
Aging Microbiome: After 40, resilience decreases, making gut testing and diet/lifestyle adjustments more important.
Red Meat & Alcohol: Red meat isn’t inherently bad, but must be balanced with fiber to prevent protein fermentation issues. Alcohol negatively impacts gut health and sleep, but moderation and timing can help reduce effects.
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