99: We Empower! with Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg - Episode 9999: We Empower! with Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg - Episode 99
UK Health Radio Podcast
Microbiome scientist Christine Neumann speaks with Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg about how gut, skin and brain are closely linked through diet, stress and daily habits. The conversation shares practical tips on food, skincare, children and modern lifestyles, with a focus on simple ways to support long-term health.
50:48•2 May 2026
Gut, Skin and Mood: Christine Neumann on Microbiomes and Self-Care
Episode Overview
- Colourful, varied food—aiming for many different fruits and vegetables each week—supports a diverse and more stable gut microbiome.
- Stress and mood directly influence gut microbes via the gut–brain connection, so emotional health and digestive health need to be considered together.
- Many conventional cosmetics and strongly perfumed products can disturb the skin microbiome; shorter ingredient lists and softer scents are often kinder.
- Early-life factors like mode of birth, breastfeeding and time outdoors strongly shape a child’s microbiome and long-term health.
- Reducing hygiene overkill at home and allowing some dirt, plants and pets can positively affect both environmental and personal microbiomes.
“You just have to go back and think, how did our ancestors actually live?”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober and healthy in a world full of ultra-processed food and quick fixes? This conversation on UK Health Radio’s *We Empower!* brings together host Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg and microbiome scientist Christine Neumann for a lively, science-based chat about gut health, mood, and long-term resilience.
You’ll hear Anabel share her own story of spending two years in hospital, heavy on painkillers and antibiotics, and the gut problems and depression that followed. Her moment of clarity comes when she realises, “This is because of the problems in my gut… my body telling me, hey, I'm crying for help.” Christine backs this up with clear explanations of how the microbiome, brain and immune system constantly interact, and why stress, diet and medication all matter.
The pair take aim at drab hospital food and sugary, beige meals, contrasting them with colourful, plant-rich plates that support a “diverse and happy ecosystem in your gut”. They move from nutrition into daily life, unpacking why so many people ignore their body’s signals, reach for painkillers, or grab whatever’s on offer at the bakery instead of real food. Christine also opens up a lesser-known front: skin health and cosmetics.
She explains her work creating a microbiome-friendly certification for skincare, why long shelf lives often mean heavy preservatives, and why “the core of beautiful skin is healthy skin”. She even names a couple of brands she uses herself, while stressing that fewer ingredients and softer fragrances usually mean kinder products. Parents and carers get special attention too, with practical tips for shaping a child’s microbiome through birth, breastfeeding and early play. Her refreshingly simple advice?
“Let them play in the dirt as much as possible” and don’t over-wash. If you’re curious how gut, skin and mood all link together on a recovery journey, this chat might give you a fresh nudge to listen more closely to what your body’s been trying to say.
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