Useful health content needs visible accountability.

Effective September 3, 2026. This policy applies to guides, comparisons, category reviews, and product reviews published by Gut Elements.

Human responsibility

Every published page must have an accountable human author or editor. Organizational bylines may describe a collaborative workflow, but they cannot replace an identifiable person responsible for factual accuracy. Biographies and qualifications must be supportable; we do not invent credentials or imply clinical expertise that a contributor does not have.

Sources and evidence

We favor public-health agencies, professional guidance, systematic reviews, peer-reviewed research, regulatory records, and primary product documentation. A marketing page may establish what a company claims or sells, but it is not independent proof of effectiveness. Important limitations, uncertainty, and conflicts in the evidence belong in the article.

Medical review

Content that could influence diagnosis, treatment, medication use, or management of a condition requires review by an appropriately qualified professional. The reviewer’s name and review status must appear on the page. An editorial check is not described as medical review, and a page awaiting qualified review is marked as pending.

Product evaluation

We distinguish label research, desk research, and hands-on testing. A product is described as tested only when a contributor actually used or measured it under a documented protocol. Samples, discounts, or brand access are disclosed when relevant and never guarantee coverage, placement, or a positive verdict.

Affiliate and commercial separation

Editorial inclusion comes before affiliate availability. Commission rates cannot determine scores, findings, or order. Affiliate links are labeled and use appropriate sponsored-link attributes. Sponsored work, if introduced, will be labeled distinctly and will not imitate an independent review.

AI-assisted work

AI and other software may assist with research organization, outlines, drafts, calculations, or technical production. They are not treated as evidence, authors, reviewers, or firsthand experience. Factual claims must be checked against the cited source by the accountable human before publication. We do not use tools to fabricate quotations, tests, experts, or consensus.

Updates and corrections

Material changes receive an updated date and, when necessary, a correction note. Evidence-based challenges are reviewed independently of commercial relationships. The full process appears in our corrections policy.