A healthy gut, a healthy body.

What Is the Gut Microbiome?

Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microscopic living things are referred to as microorganisms, or microbes, for short.

Trillions of these microbes exist mainly inside your intestines and on your skin.

The bacteria and other microbes in your gut help you digest food and may support immune, heart, and brain health, among other benefits.

• There are more bacterial cells in your body than human cells. 

• There are up to 1,000 species of bacteria in the human gut microbiome, and each of them plays a different role in your body. Most of them are extremely important for your health, while others may cause disease.

• Altogether, these microbes may weigh as much as 1-2 kg, which is roughly the weight of your brain. 

How Does It Affect Your Body?

Humans have evolved to live with microbes for millions of years.

During this time, microbes have learned to play very important roles in the human body. In fact, without the gut microbiome, it would be very difficult to survive.

WEIGHT:

However, our bodies have many different types of microbes it is very important to maintain a healthy balance, having too many unhealthy microbes can lead to disease.

An imbalance of healthy and unhealthy microbes may contribute to weight gain.

Studies have shown that an imbalance in gut microbes may lead to weight gain, fortunately, probiotics can be used to deal with these imbalances.

GUT HEALTH:

The microbiome can also affect gut health and may play a role in intestinal diseases like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The bloating, cramps, and abdominal pain that people with IBS experience may be due to an imbalance in gut microbes. This is because the microbes produce a lot of gas and other chemicals, which contribute to the symptoms of intestinal discomfort.

A healthy gut microbiome controls gut health by communicating with the intestinal cells, digesting certain foods, and preventing disease-causing bacteria from sticking to the intestinal walls.

HEART HEALTH:

A recent study showed that a healthy gut microbiome played an important role in promoting HDL cholesterol and triglycerides ("good cholesterol").

It is found that certain species of microbes in the gut lead to TMAO production, a chemical that contributes to blocked arteries, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

BLOOD SUGAR AND DIABETES:

A recent study showed that lower diversity in gut microbiome may lead to a higher risk of developing diabetes as well and a higher amount of healthy bacteria in the gut might also increase the risk for diabetes.

BRAIN HEALTH:

Different species of bacteria can help produce chemicals in the brain such as serotonin (antidepressant neurotransmitter).

The brain is also connected to the gut by millions of nerves, thus gut health can affect the brain and the messaging that follows along these nerves between the brain and the gut.

How can you improve your gut health?

• Eat a diverse range of food that promotes the growth of healthy bacteria, such as beans, fruits, lots of fiber, etc.

• Eat fermented food such as yogurt etc that contains tons of healthy bacteria.

• Limit intake of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame which increases the blood sugar and stimulates the growth of bad bacteria.

• Eat probiotic food such as bananas, oats, and apples.

• Eat whole grains.

• Take a probiotic supplement.

The bottom line is that your gut microbiome is made up of millions of bacteria and fungi and other microbes, and plays a very important role in general health and well-being.

Thus, it is extremely important to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle to ensure a healthy and balanced gut microbiome.

A healthy gut = a healthy body.