Blue-Poo Gut–Brain Study

Exploring the link between gut transit and thinking

Could the time food takes to move through your gut be linked to how you think? GIBA-A’s Blue Poo programme will explore this question through a community study in Soweto and support participation in the UK/international Blue Poo study through social media.

What the study explores

The Blue Poo approach examines whether gut transit time, the time food takes to pass through the digestive system, is related to attention and mental processing speed. It combines a blue muffin test with brief thinking tasks to explore connections between the gut and brain.

Part one Soweto community

We are planning a community study in Soweto to explore these questions in a South African setting. The study will use the Blue Poo approach, with arrangements adapted for the local community. Information about local eligibility, study activities and how to take part will be shared as plans are finalised.

Part two UK and international study participation

We will use social media to raise awareness of the UK/international Blue Poo study and direct interested people to its official study website. Eligibility and participation will follow the requirements of that study, with information and enrolment managed through the study’s own channels.

What the Blue Poo approach involves

In the UK/international study, participants eat a muffin containing food-grade blue colouring and record when blue colouring first appears in their stool. The time between these events provides an estimate of gut transit time. Participants also answer short questions and complete brief online thinking tasks.