Is Your Home Secretly Destroying Your Gut?

When we think about gut health, we usually picture food or probiotics—not the air inside our home. But new research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health shows that the quality of the air you breathe indoors can actually reshape your gut microbiome. That means cleaner air at home doesn’t just help you breathe—it could change how your whole body feels.

Everyday Fixes for Healthier Air (and a Happier Gut)

1. Crack a window or use a fan
   Fresh air works wonders. If you’re cooking, make sure to flip on your stove vent—or at least keep a window open.

2. Choose safer lighting and cooking fuels
   The Harvard study showed how switching from kerosene to solar lighting made a real difference. For most of us, that can mean using LED bulbs, electric kettles, or cooking with good ventilation instead of smoky stoves.

3. Rethink your cleaners
   Some sprays and wipes leave behind chemicals that linger in your air. Affordable swaps: Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyer’s, or Method. Want to splurge? Try Branch Basics or Blueland. Even plain vinegar and water works.

4. Bring in a little green
   A couple of low-maintenance plants (snake plant, pothos) can naturally freshen up a room.

5. Don’t scrub away all the good stuff
   Over-sanitizing kills healthy microbes along with the bad. Save the heavy disinfectants for when you really need them, like after someone’s been sick.

The Bottom Line

Your gut isn’t just shaped by what you eat—it’s shaped by where you live. The air in your home can either support your body or quietly harm it. One small change—like switching cleaners, using a vent, or cracking a window—might be the simplest step you take toward better gut (and overall) health, according to Harvard research on indoor air and the gut microbiome (2025).

Reference:
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Cleaner indoor air helps breathing, alters gut microbiome, and suggests new ways to fight pollution harms. May 2025.