A study published this week found that short-term stress altered the gut microbiome in healthy young adults, though the authors cautioned the results are preliminary and may not generalize to clinical populations or chronic stress.^[2] The study examined two small cohorts, each containing significantly more responders than nonresponders, and the authors stressed that the findings need confirmation in larger prospective trials before any clinical application.^[1] The research was limited to healthy young adults under short-term stress, meaning the results may not apply to patients with chronic conditions or long-term stress exposure.^[2] The read here is that the study adds to the evidence linking stress and the gut microbiome, but the small sample size and narrow population mean dietitians should not yet base clinical recommendations on these findings. Larger trials with diverse populations and longer stress durations would be needed to assess relevance to medical nutrition therapy.