In the summer heat, the desire to quench our thirst with something cool and refreshing often leads us to the shelves with kvass, kombucha or kefir. Traditionally, it is believed that such fermented drinks are almost an elixir of health for our digestion. Marketers convince us of the presence of "live bacteria", and folk medicine has been promoting kvass for years as the best way to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. But is this really so?

Modern 4P medicine (personalized, predictive, preventive, patient-centered) proves that the human body is a complex "superorganism" inhabited by about 38 trillion bacterial cells. This giant ecosystem, our microbiome, regulates almost all life processes: from the formation of immunity to weight control and mood through the "gut-brain" axis.

Today, the topic of gut health and the microbiome is heard everywhere. We hear about the need to maintain microflora, drink kefir, buy supplements and eat more fiber. However, it is easy to get confused in this stream of information. On the shelves of pharmacies and supermarkets we are greeted by dozens of bright jars that promise instant improvement in digestion and immunity. But do all these products really work the same?

The modern world has imposed on us the illusion that to improve our health or lose weight, we need to suffer: go on strict diets, drink questionable detox juices, or starve. However, advanced 4P medicine (personalized, predictive, preventive, patient-centered) proves that such fanaticism is not only ineffective, but also extremely dangerous.