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About Gut Bites MD
Gut Bites MD is a science-grounded newsletter about how food shapes the gut microbiome, metabolism, and long-term health, and how to turn that science into everyday choices.
Written by Dr. Chris Damman, a gastroenterologist, researcher, and professor at the University of Washington, Gut Bites translates emerging research into practical, inclusive guidance you can use right away. The focus is simple: help people eat in ways that support the microbiome, metabolic health, energy, and longevity—without dogma or diet wars.
Expect clear explanations, real-world takeaways, and tools that make healthier choices easier, not harder.
What you’ll find here
Science made practical: microbiome, metabolism, fiber, polyphenols, postbiotics, and more
Food clarity: how to choose, swap, and combine foods to support gut and metabolic health
Personalization: why the same food works differently for different people
Smart tools: insights from the SmartBites food-scoring approach and related research
Perspective: cutting through nutrition noise with evidence and clinical experience
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Join the community
Gut Bites is built for curious readers, clinicians, researchers, and everyday eaters who want clearer, smarter guidance. Comment, ask questions, and help shape future topics, or support the work with a subscription.
About the author
Chris Damman, MD, is a gastroenterologist and microbiome researcher at UW Medicine. His work focuses on how diet and gut microbes influence metabolism, inflammation, and chronic disease, and how to translate that science into practical tools for healthier eating.
He is also the creator of SmartBites, a science-based food-scoring approach designed to make healthier choices easier in the real world.
To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.
