Owen Wiseman
Medical Advisor / Conseiller Médical

The warmer weather has Canadians looking forward to shedding the heavy blanket of Jack Frost. Instead of visions of sugar plums dancing through their minds, it’s a sunny afternoon with the smell of BBQ wafting on the wind. Maybe it’s a new grilled eggplant recipe that your aunt is testing, or it’s the smoker with a brisket from a local farmer.

While the brain and heart might be saying yes to all the rich food, the gut hopes you’ll steer clear.

Why Does Summer Trigger Digestive Discomfort?

Through the summer seasons, digestion gets challenged in a few impactful ways including disruptions to the microbes, imbalances in fluid and electrolytes, as well as dietary excess.

Dehydration slows digestion

With the sunshine comes a jump in basal metabolic rate and how much sweat gets produced, leading to water loss. Without enough fluid, the body compensates by taking it from somewhere else.

That somewhere else means reabsorbing fluid from the food matter passing through the colon, which can lead to harder stools and slower transit time. Dehydration has even been shown to impair the function of digestive enzymes, the chemicals that break down delicious carbs, fats, and proteins.¹

A recent study published in The Journal of Nutritionshowed that the source of your drinking water explained 13% of the variation in the gut microbiome, and people who are more hydrated have more diverse species occupying their gut.² Wow!

The impacts of dehydration go well beyond the gut even mild dehydration leads to brain fog and reduces physical performance.

Summer foods can disrupt gut integrity.

Grilled meats, creamy salads, and high-sodium snacks often dominate summer meals.

These indulgences contain high levels of saturated fats, sodium, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and grill-related toxins like PAHs and HCAs, all of which are metabolized by your liver and gut flora. Frequent exposure to these compounds can increase inflammation and even raise the risk of gastrointestinal concerns.^3,4

Tip: Support your liver and digestion with bitter herbs and reduce the impact of heavy foods.

Travel and changes to routine affect the microbiome.

Whether it’s jet lag, foreign water, less dietary fibre, or antibiotic exposure, your gut microbiome is sensitive to even small shifts in routine. These changes can reduce beneficial species and encourage the growth of pathogenic ones.⁵ If the microbe gets disrupted, it’s important to rebalance the gut through prebiotics (i.e. Molkosan), probiotics, and mindful eating to promote resilience during travel.

Tip: Incorporate prebiotics and probiotics before, during, and after travel to maintain microbiome balance.

Your Summer Gut Support Toolkit

Here are 3 natural products to keep digestion smooth all season:

1. Digestive Aid Complex

• A blend of artichoke, milk thistle, boldo leaf, and dandelion
• Stimulates bile flow, helping digest fats
• Eases post-meal bloating, especially after grilled or fatty foods

2. Molkosan

• A fermented whey concentrate rich in L+ lactic acid
• Acts as a prebiotic, fueling good bacteria
• Supports a healthy pH in the gut and enhances nutrient absorption

3. Herbamare

• An herbal-infused sea salt that enhances flavour with less sodium
• Contains organic herbs that support digestion
• Can be used to create a DIY electrolyte drink for hydration and gut support

Gut-Loving Summer Recipes

Gut-Tonic Spritzer

• 1 tbsp Molkosan
• Sparkling water
• Mint leaves & cucumber slices

Electrolyte Sipper

• 8 oz water
• ⅛ tsp Herbamare
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp blackstrap molasses or raw honey
• 1 capsule of magnesium + potassium (open and mix)

🌸 Let Your Gut Bloom This Summer

Bloating, BBQ belly, and disrupted digestion don’t have to be part of your summer story. With hydration, mindful eating, and natural support from A.Vogel’s gut-friendly products, you can enjoy every meal, and every sunny moment.

References

1.Taylor, Kory, Alok K. Tripathi, and Elizabeth B. Jones. "Adult dehydration." StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing, 2025.

2.Vanhaecke, Tiphaine, et al. "Drinking water source and intake are associated with distinct gut microbiota signatures in US and UK populations." The Journal of Nutrition 152.1 (2022): 171-182.

3. Zheng, Wei, and Sang-Ah Lee. "Well-done meat intake, heterocyclic amine exposure, and cancer risk." Nutrition and Cancer 61.4 (2009): 437-446.

4.John, Esther M., et al. "Meat consumption, cooking practices, meat mutagens, and risk of prostate cancer." Nutrition and Cancer 63.4 (2011): 525-537.

5.Zhao, Yiming, et al. "Exploring the Impact of Short Term Travel on Gut Microbiota and Probiotic Bacteria Mediated Stability." Biomedicines 12.7 (2024): 1378.

6. Almajid, Ali N., and Kavin Sugumar. "Physiology, bile." (2019).

7. Hodgkinson, Kendra, et al. "Butyrate’s role in human health and the current progress towards its clinical application to treat gastrointestinal disease." Clinical Nutrition 42.2 (2023): 61-75.

8. Recharla, Neeraja, Ramasatyaveni Geesala, and Xuan-Zheng Shi. "Gut microbial metabolite butyrate and its therapeutic role in inflammatory bowel disease: a literature review." Nutrients 15.10 (2023): 2275.

9. Kalkan, Arda Erkan, et al. "Beyond the gut: unveiling butyrate’s global health impact through gut health and dysbiosis-related conditions: a narrative review." Nutrients 17.8 (2025): 1305.