DIGM score

 Here’s a **simple explanation of how the DIGM score (Dietary Index for Gut Microbiota) is calculated based on research methods used in large nutrition studies: 

🧠 What the DIGM Score Measures

The DIGM score reflects how supportive your diet is for a healthy gut microbiome. It’s built around 14 food groups or nutrients that research suggests are either beneficial or detrimental to gut bacteria. 

📊 How It’s Scored

1. 

Beneficial Foods (10 items)

Each of these counts 1 point if your intake is at or above the median for your sex (based on the survey population):

• Fermented dairy (e.g., yogurt, kefir)
• Chickpeas
• Soybeans
• Whole grains
• Fiber
• Cranberries
• Avocado
• Broccoli
• Coffee
• Green tea

➡️ Score: 0 or 1 for each, totaling up to 10 points

🚩 If intake is below the median: 0 points

📌 Higher intake = more points for beneficial foods 

2. 

Detrimental Foods (4 items)

These count 1 point if your intake is below the median — because high intake is considered unfavorable for gut microbiota:

• Refined grains
• Red meat
• Processed meat
• High‑fat diet (≥ 40 % of energy from fat)

➡️ Score: 0 or 1 for each, totaling up to 4 points

📌 Lower intake = gets a point; higher intake = 0 points 

🧾 Total Score Range

• 0–14 points total
  
• Higher score = diet more supportive of a healthy gut microbiota
• Lower score = diet less supportive  
• 
  

🧠 Summary: How to Read It

• Beneficial foods (fruits, fiber, plant‑based foods, fermented dairy, coffee/tea) add to your score
• Detrimental foods (processed/red meat, refined grains, very high fat) subtract from your score
• The DIGM score is an overall indicator, not a diagnostic tool, used in research to study how diet relates to gut health and outcomes like metabolic risk, inflammation, or even cognition.  

If you’d like, I can list specific examples of portion cutoffs (e.g., what counts as median intake thresholds) or explain how DIGM relates to health outcomes like inflammation and mental well‑being. Which would you prefer?