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Dr. Mel Ona | Music * Medicine * Mind

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No hype. Just evidence-based gut truth.
🏥 Gastroenterologist | Hawaiʻi
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The fiber you eat today may help protect your colon for years to come. 🌱

Fiber isn’t just about staying regular.

Higher dietary fiber intake is associated with a lower risk for colorectal cancer and diverticular disease.

And one fascinating reason scientists are interested in fiber is what happens when gut bacteria ferment it.

They produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate.

Butyrate serves as an important energy source for the cells lining your colon and helps support normal intestinal barrier function.

Here’s the important distinction:

The strongest evidence for disease prevention relates to getting enough dietary fiber, not hitting a specific number of different plants.

Eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds is a practical way to obtain different types of fiber and other beneficial nutrients.

And prevention doesn’t have to be dramatic.

It’s built through consistent habits over time.

Whether you’re 30, 40, 50, or older, it’s worth investing in your long-term digestive health.

More fiber.
More variety.
Better habits.

And remember: a fiber-rich diet complements, but never replaces, appropriate colorectal cancer screening.

#Fiber
#ColonCancerPrevention
#GutMicrobiome
#ColonHealth by @drmelonagi

Want to give your gut microbiome more variety?

Try the 30-plant challenge! 🌱

One of the most interesting findings from the American Gut Project was that people who reported eating 30 or more different plant foods per week had more diverse gut microbiomes than those eating 10 or fewer.

But here’s the important distinction:

30 isn’t a magic number. It’s a practical goal inspired by observational research.

And you don’t need to overhaul your diet to get started.

Try adding variety throughout your week:
🥦 Different vegetables 🍓 Fruits and berries 🫘 Beans and lentils 🌾 Whole grains such as oats, quinoa, and farro 🥜 Nuts and seeds 🌿 Herbs and spices

Different plants provide different combinations of fibers and other compounds that interact with your gut microbes.

And here’s the best part:

You don’t need 30 plants every day.

The challenge is 30 different plants across an entire week.

Start by counting how many you already eat. Then gradually introduce a few new ones.

And if you have IBS or tend to experience bloating, increase variety and fiber gradually, choosing foods you tolerate.

More variety.
Less restriction.
No expensive gut-health supplements required.
#GutMicrobiome
#PlantDiversity
#Fiber
#GutHealth
#Gastroenterology by @drmelonagi

You’re eating enough fiber. But are you eating enough DIFFERENT kinds of fiber? 🌱

Most conversations about fiber focus on one number: grams per day.

And yes, quantity matters.

But here’s what often gets overlooked:

Not all fiber is the same.

Different plant foods contain different combinations of soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, resistant starch, and other carbohydrates that interact with your gut microbiome.

And different microbes have different abilities to break them down.

That’s one reason dietary variety matters.

Instead of getting all your fiber from the same cereal, supplement, or handful of vegetables, try incorporating a wider range of:
🥦 Vegetables 🍎 Fruits 🫘 Beans and lentils 🌾 Whole grains 🥜 Nuts and seeds

Research suggests that dietary patterns rich in diverse plant foods are associated with differences in gut microbial communities.

But there’s no magic number of plants that guarantees a healthy microbiome, and microbial diversity alone isn’t a complete measure of gut health.

The goal isn’t just more fiber.

It’s a greater variety of nutritious, fiber-containing foods.

Start gradually, especially if you’re prone to bloating, and increase your fiber intake as tolerated.

Don’t just count fiber grams.

Think about fiber variety, too.

#Fiber
#GutMicrobiome
#GutHealth
#NutritionScience
#Gastroenterology by @drmelonagi

Client: Dr. Mel Ona @drmelonagi
Gastroenterologist | Recording Artist
Foto, MUP, Post: @rtfotousa
All rights reserved: RTFOTO, LLC

Thank you @drmelonagi it was a pleasure creating your images! Congratulations and good luck on your upcoming release and performance.

📸✨ THROUGH THE LENS OF A MASTER… THE INCREDIBLE Russell Tanoue! ✨ 📸
By Mel Ona

WOW!!! What an absolute privilege and joy to have a photoshoot with the legendary celebrity photographer Russell Tanoue! 🌟

I’ve admired beautiful photography for years, but experiencing Russell’s artistry firsthand gave me an entirely new appreciation for the magic that happens behind the lens.

His extraordinary eye for lighting, composition, expression, and those subtle moments that reveal personality is simply AMAZING! 🤩📸

What struck me most was his remarkable ability to capture so many different sides of a person…from warmth and joy to confidence, introspection, and a little dramatic flair! 😎 📸

Each photograph tells its own story, and Russell makes it all look so effortless.

And beyond his phenomenal talent, what a genuinely wonderful person to work with!

Mel Ona
#fyp #doctor #recordingartist #foryou #hawaiiphotographer by @drmelonagi

What if gluten isn’t the real reason wheat makes you feel sick?

A fascinating study published in Gastroenterology challenged what many people believe about gluten sensitivity.

Researchers studied 59 individuals who reported gluten sensitivity but did not have celiac disease.

In a randomized, double-blind trial, participants consumed:

🔬 Gluten 🔬 Fructans 🔬 Placebo

Without knowing which one they were receiving.

The results?

Fructans produced greater digestive symptoms than gluten on average.

And gluten did not produce significantly more symptoms than placebo at the group level.
That doesn’t mean gluten sensitivity outside of celiac disease is impossible.

It means that for some people who feel better avoiding wheat, fermentable carbohydrates, not gluten itself, may be contributing to their symptoms.

Think about foods such as wheat, garlic, and onions. They can share a common component: fructans.

And remember, these carbohydrates aren’t inherently harmful.

They can be part of a healthy diet, but some people with sensitive digestive systems tolerate them poorly.

The lesson?

Don’t confuse the food with the specific ingredient causing your symptoms.

And always consider celiac testing before beginning a gluten-free diet.

#GlutenSensitivity
#Fructans
#FODMAPs
#GutHealth
#EvidenceBasedMedicine by @drmelonagi

You’ve gone gluten-free.

You’ve tried low-FODMAP.

But you’re STILL bloated.

Why?

Because not every case of persistent bloating is caused by food intolerance.

Sometimes the problem involves how your digestive system processes food, or how bacteria interact with it.

One possibility is SIBO: small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

SIBO can produce symptoms that overlap with IBS and carbohydrate intolerance:

• Bloating and excessive gas • Abdominal discomfort • Diarrhea or altered bowel habits • Sometimes nutritional deficiencies

But here’s the critical distinction:

Persistent bloating doesn’t automatically mean you have SIBO.

Other possibilities include constipation, carbohydrate malabsorption, visceral hypersensitivity, altered gut motility, and disorders of gut-brain interaction.

And SIBO itself can sometimes respond symptomatically to dietary changes, even if diet alone doesn’t address the underlying problem.

If you’re eliminating more and more foods without meaningful improvement, it may be time to reconsider the diagnosis rather than restrict your diet further.

When the diet isn’t working, don’t automatically blame another food.

Reassess the problem.

#SIBO
#Bloating
#LowFODMAP
#IBS
#Gastroenterology by @drmelonagi

You stopped eating gluten. Your bloating improved. But was gluten actually the problem?

Here’s something many people don’t realize:
Wheat contains more than gluten.

It also contains fructans, a type of fermentable carbohydrate belonging to a group called FODMAPs.

When gut bacteria ferment these carbohydrates, they produce gas.

For people with sensitive digestive systems, this can contribute to bloating, cramping, and changes in bowel habits.

And here’s where things get interesting.

When you eliminate wheat, you’re removing BOTH gluten and fructans.

So if your symptoms improve, which one was responsible?

For some people, particularly those with IBS, fructans may be the bigger trigger.

That may explain why someone feels better avoiding wheat but continues experiencing symptoms after eating foods such as garlic or onions, both rich in fructans.

Feeling better without wheat doesn’t automatically mean you’re gluten-sensitive.

And before eliminating gluten, remember that celiac disease should be evaluated when appropriate, ideally while you’re still consuming gluten.

The food you eliminate isn’t always the ingredient causing the problem.

#GlutenSensitivity
#FODMAPs
#Fructans
#IBS
#Gastroenterology by @drmelonagi

What if the medication you’re taking for pain is contributing to your gut problems?

One of the most overlooked contributors to gastrointestinal injury may already be sitting in your medicine cabinet.

NSAIDs: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin.

These medications reduce prostaglandin production, which helps relieve pain and inflammation.

But prostaglandins also play an important role in protecting your gastrointestinal lining.
With NSAID use, particularly frequent or prolonged use, that protection can be compromised.

The consequences may include:

• Irritation and inflammation of the GI tract • Gastric or intestinal ulcers • Increased intestinal permeability • In some cases, gastrointestinal bleeding

And here’s the important distinction:

You can’t assume a supplement will protect your gut from an ongoing source of injury.

L-glutamine, collagen, zinc, and probiotics are often marketed as solutions for “leaky gut,” but none reliably prevents NSAID-related gastrointestinal damage.

If you’re regularly taking NSAIDs and experiencing persistent digestive symptoms, review your medications with your healthcare provider.

Don’t stop prescribed aspirin or other medications without medical guidance.

Sometimes improving gut health isn’t about adding something new.

It’s about identifying what’s causing harm.

#LeakyGut
#NSAIDs
#GutHealth
#Gastroenterology
#EvidenceBasedMedicine by @drmelonagi

What if you’re trying to repair your gut without addressing what’s damaging it?

Your intestinal lining is protected by a remarkable barrier made up of specialized cells connected by structures called tight junctions.

These structures help regulate what passes through your intestinal wall.

In certain conditions, this barrier can become more permeable, allowing substances to cross more readily and potentially interact with the immune system.

But here’s where things get complicated.
The supplement industry offers countless products promising to “heal leaky gut”:

💊 L-glutamine to support intestinal cells.
💊 Collagen to provide structural building blocks.
💊 Zinc to support normal barrier function.
💊 Probiotics to influence the gut microbiome.

Each has a biological rationale, but biological plausibility is not the same as proven clinical benefit.

And none is a universal solution for increased intestinal permeability.

Here’s the bigger question:

What’s disrupting the intestinal barrier in the first place?

Certain inflammatory diseases, infections, medications, and other conditions can affect intestinal barrier function.

Addressing an identifiable underlying cause is often more meaningful than simply adding another supplement.

And remember: bloating, fatigue, food reactions, and abdominal pain can have many explanations. They don’t automatically mean you have a “leaky gut.”

Don’t just chase the mechanism.

Investigate the cause.

#LeakyGut
#GutHealth
#IntestinalPermeability
#Gastroenterology
#EvidenceBasedMedicine by @drmelonagi

“Leaky gut” is real…but probably not in the way social media has taught you to think about it.

Your intestinal lining forms a highly regulated barrier. It allows nutrients and other appropriate molecules to cross while helping keep potentially harmful substances where they belong.

In certain diseases and inflammatory states, that barrier can become more permeable.

Scientists call this increased intestinal permeability.

But here’s where the internet gets ahead of the evidence:

“Leaky gut syndrome” is often blamed for everything from bloating and fatigue to brain fog, autoimmune disease, and dozens of unrelated symptoms, and then used to sell expensive tests, supplements, and “gut-healing” protocols.

That’s a very different claim.

Intestinal permeability is legitimate physiology.

Turning it into a catch-all diagnosis is not.

If you’re having persistent GI symptoms, the goal shouldn’t be to “seal your gut.”

It should be to determine what is actually causing your symptoms and treat that appropriately.

======================== Evidence over hype. Your gut deserves the truth. — Dr. Mel Ona
========================
#LeakyGut
#GutHealth
#GutMicrobiome
#Gastroenterology
#EvidenceBasedMedicine by @drmelonagi

Your liver enzymes are normal.

But is your liver actually healthy?

Here’s something many patients don’t realize: a result that falls within your laboratory’s reference range isn’t necessarily the whole story.

ALT and AST are enzymes commonly measured to help identify liver injury.

But laboratory reference ranges vary, and some may be higher than the thresholds used when evaluating fatty liver disease.

An ALT of 38 U/L, for example, may be flagged as normal by one laboratory but deserve closer attention in someone with metabolic risk factors.

And here’s the other important point:

Normal liver enzymes do not rule out fatty liver disease or even significant liver fibrosis.

That’s why we need to look beyond a single number.

Your metabolic health, medical history, laboratory trends and, when appropriate, noninvasive assessments such as FIB-4 and FibroScan all contribute to understanding your liver health.

Don’t panic over one laboratory result.

But don’t assume that a green checkmark means there’s nothing worth investigating.

Normal isn’t always the same as healthy.

#FattyLiver
#MASLD
#LiverEnzymes
#LiverHealth
#Gastroenterology by @drmelonagi

Your liver can be accumulating fat without giving you any obvious warning signs.

That’s one of the challenges of fatty liver disease, now commonly called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Some people experience fatigue or discomfort in the right upper abdomen.

But many have no symptoms at all.

And here’s what’s important:

How you feel doesn’t necessarily reflect what’s happening inside your liver.

You can have fatty liver disease without pain, and symptoms alone cannot tell us whether significant fibrosis or scarring has developed.

If you have metabolic risk factors such as type 2 diabetes or obesity, talk with your healthcare provider about whether liver assessment is appropriate.

Noninvasive tools such as FIB-4 and FibroScan can help assess your risk of liver fibrosis.

Don’t wait for symptoms to tell you something is wrong.

#FattyLiver
#MASLD
#LiverHealth
#FibroScan
#Gastroenterology by @drmelonagi