Pernille Stensgaard’s feature “Gut Feelings”, covering our ReD Dialogue between world-leading gut scientist Oluf Borbye Pedersen and head chef at The Alchemist, Theis Brydegaard, alongside ReD partners Anne Mette Worsøe Lottrup and Filip Lau.

Text: Pernille Stensgaard
Originally published in Danish by Weekendavisen 

“‘Are we listening to the gut?’ is today’s question, asked by the host, ReD Associates, a ‘funky’ consulting firm with offices here in Paris and New York. It sounds a little different in Danish: ‘Lytter vi til tarmen?’ And you sense from the question that we are not listening. At least not enough.”
 
“To the audience in the stately room, [Pedersen] says: ‘You are the hosts of the original elements of the world. We evolved from them. About three billion years passed from bacteria to man, and they are still the foundation of all organic life – plants, animals, people.’ He views the microbiome as a galaxy, something insanely large and complex, and probably the last organ in the body whose function we have yet to understand.”
 
“The scientist wants the chef to join a green revolution. ‘There isn’t a chef who doesn't want to go that way,’ replies Brydegaard, ‘but people in general... you show them a carrot and ask what they can do with it? They arrive at shredded carrots with raisins! In the [Danish] school's culinary lessons, the budget is 13kr per student, it doesn't work at all.’ ‘Agreed!’ exclaims the doctor. ‘The revolution must start in school’.”

Read the full article here.