191: Kiran Krishnan: How to Rebuild Your Gut Microbiome & Reduce Inflammation

191: Kiran Krishnan: How to Rebuild Your Gut Microbiome & Reduce Inflammation

From Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD by Darshan Shah, MD

August 18, 2026 · 1h 12m

About this episode

Kiran Krishnan discusses the importance of viewing the gut microbiome as a living ecosystem and offers insights on how to rebuild it for better health.

What if the biggest mistake we're making with gut health is treating the microbiome like a list of bacteria instead of a living ecosystem? Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms that influence inflammation, metabolism, immune function, hormones, brain health, and longevity. But modern life—from ultra-processed foods and antibiotics to pesticides, chronic stress, and inadequate fiber—may be systematically stripping away the microbial diversity we need to stay healthy. My guest, Kiran Krishnan , is a research microbiologist and microbiome expert who has spent nearly two decades studying these complex microbial ecosystems. He co-founded Microbiome Labs and has helped develop microbiome testing and clinically studied probiotics. Kiran introduced me to the concept of the holobiome : the idea that we aren't simply human cells and human DNA, but walking ecosystems containing millions of microbial genes that perform essential functions throughout the body. We explore what's actually damaging that ecosystem, how poor gut health can contribute to leaky gut, endotoxemia, systemic inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction, and most importantly, what we can do to rebuild it. Kiran…

People in this episode

Host: Darshan Shah, MD

Guest: Kiran Krishnan

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Microbiome Labs

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