What IS the “microbiome,” anyway?
According to Merriam-Webster, the microbiome is a community of microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, fungi and viruses), including the collective genetic material of all those microorganisms, that inhabit a particular environment (especially the collection of microorganisms living in or on the human body). Basically, think of your body as host to a thriving microbial ecosystem – not unlike our planet and us.
What they lack in size, they make up for in number. You are host to around 100 trillion bacteria – outnumbering your human cells by 10:1, outnumbering your human genes by 360:1, and accounting for 1-3% of your body weight. [1] Moreover, you’re also host to around one quadrillion viruses – outnumbering bacteria by 10:1! [2] According to the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), a United States National Institutes of Health research initiative to improve understanding of the microbial flora involved in human health and disease, researchers now calculate that more than 10,000 species occupy our bodies.
Sounds pretty icky doesn’t it – thinking about all those critters crawling around on your skin and up your nose, or setting up shop inside your stomach? Well, don’t start showering in Purell just yet. You need those bacteria! Without them, your body would fail to break down the food you eat into the nutrients you can absorb; and, you’d become deficient in vital compounds like vitamins and anti-inflammatories that you simply lack the ability to produce on our own. Did you know that 3/4 of Vitamin K production comes from the action of gut bacteria and only 1/4 comes from the food you eat? [3] Gut bacteria also helps your body make Vitamin B and helps you absorb the B vitamins that come from food. [4] It’s estimated that 90% of the body’s serotonin (a mood stabilizing neurotransmitter which reduces depression, regulates anxiety and helps with digestion, sleeping and eating [5]) is made in the digestive tract, and much of that is dependent on healthy strains of flora. [6] The microbiome is even now being considered a separate organ with distinct metabolic and immune activity. [7] It’s so important, in fact, that the gut microbiome has been shown to communicate with the cells of its host to switch genes on and off. [8] There’s really nothing you can do about your genes, but how those genes are expressed…well, that’s a different story. As it turns out, keeping the “good guys” in and on your body happy, may mean the difference between being healthy and getting a disease or becoming obese.
Consider fighting disease, fighting CANCER with microorganisms instead of medications! A recent study published in The American Journal of Pathology found that, by simply introducing a specific strain of bacteria into the gut, they were able to reduce the number and size of colon tumors in mice. The bacteria actually altered the gene expression of the mouse – suppressing the pro-inflammatory, cancer-associated cytokines and colorectal abnormal growths. [9] Researchers have known about the association between our gut and our health for years. Some have even said that up to 90 percent of all diseases can be traced in some way back to the gut and health of the microbiome. [10] Another report reinforces, “The gut microbiota that resides in the gastrointestinal tract provides essential health benefits to its host, particularly by regulating immune homeostasis,” and further explains that, “it has recently become obvious that alterations of these gut microbial communities can cause immune dysregulation, leading to autoimmune disorders.” [11]
The following health conditions and chronic diseases have been linked to the microbial diversity of your gut. [12]
- Mental health, behavior and mood control
- Obesity and metabolic function
- Chrohn’s disease and similar bowel dysfunction
- Autoimmune diseases (e.g. Rheumatoid arthritis, Graves’ disease, Type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Celiac disease, et cetera)
- Inflammatory conditions (e.g. Type 2 diabetes, asthma, ulcers, ulcerative colitis, et cetera)
- Autism
- Neurological diseases (e.g. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, migraines, et cetera)
- Food allergies
Since intrapersonal microbial diversity affects your health, remember that YOU have the control over that microbiota. Simply by changing the environment and the exposure to certain bacteria, you can manipulate your genetic expression and control your health! Although the microbial colonization of your body initiated at birth, it is ever changing and dynamic. One study showed that as infants were exposed to new foods (e.g. breast milk, rice cereal, formula, table foods, et cetera), their genetic diversity increased significantly and linearly with time. [13]
As you can see, your survival starts at the microscopic level, and a lot of things can have a negative impact on your gut health – eating inflammatory, processed or unhealthy foods, drinking sugary or chemical-laden sodas, exposure to environmental toxins, enduring stressful relationships or careers, not sleeping well, et cetera. Heading Healthy means focusing on building a robust and diverse microbial ecosystem. This means (above all else) consuming a healthy diet rich in nutritious foods that promote a healthy gut. Taking care of yourself means taking care of those “little guys” in your digestive track. Although small, they may be the most important factor for good health. Optimizing your microbiota has a direct correlation to optimizing your ability to absorb and metabolize nutrients, your genetic expression, and ultimately fight disease!
In upcoming articles, we’ll explore which foods are the most supportive to the microbial environment and which foods you should avoid. We’ll also take a look at how the gut is linked to mental health and how medications (more specifically, antibiotics) have a disastrous effect on your gut health (which means a detrimental effect on your overall health). Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you’re up to date on with latest information!
[1] https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-human-microbiome-project-defines-normal-bacterial-makeup-body
[2], [12] https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/07/13/importance-gut-microbiome.aspx
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16080660
[4] https://blog.bulletproof.com/can-borrowing-younger-gut-microbes-reverse-aging/#ref-1
[5] https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/serotonin
[6] http://www.caltech.edu/news/microbes-help-produce-serotonin-gut-46495
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4191858/
[8] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161123124256.htm
[9] https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/the-american-journal-of-pathology/vol/187/issue/10
[10] https://draxe.com/microbiome/
[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3337124/
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3426293/
