Microbiome – trillions of organisms supporting your health
The growing body of evidence shows that the trillions of microorganisms in our gut might rule our lives to a...
The growing body of evidence shows that the trillions of microorganisms in our gut might rule our lives to a...
There are many terms, can we clarify the terms please? Just like human cells contain DNA, human microbiota also contains genes that regulate their function. The term "microbiome" refers to the whole set of genes that our microbiota possess and what functions arise from them.
In other words when we talk about the microbiota, we focus on WHO is there (which microbes are there). When we talk about the microbiome, we additionally describe WHAT microbiota can do. Colloquially, these terms are often used interchangeably. We will stick to the term “microbiome,” because we care about the function of these organisms for our health.
Ok, why does microbiome matter? While the microbes are too small to be seen without a microscope, they play are major role in our health and wellbeing. How do they manage? It’s a numbers game, where the “bugs” outnumber human cells. Let’s look at the human body:
This mathematical power implies that the functions of the microbiome can be very complex and versatile. And these functions are not separate from us. Further, recent studies point to the interactions between “them” and “us”, revealing a complex relationship between us and our bacterial colonies.
What specifically does the microbiome do? The microbiome can do a lot:
In addition, microbes evolve, change, adapt and multiply rapidly, which makes them – and us, their hosts – remarkably sophisticated. That being said, the science of microbiome is still maturing, revealing more and more examples in which the microbiome interacts and modulates human health. While the complex communities of gut microbes vary widely among individuals, in all cases the there seems to be a link between our health and the health of our gut flora. Simply put, what lives inside us, determines how well we live.
What’s the take-home? The growing body of evidence shows that the trillions of microorganisms in our gut might rule our lives to a much larger extent than we have previously imagined. This sounds complex and scientific, but the take home is simple – the microbiome should not be taken for granted or neglected. Be a good host. Take care of your gut bacteria, and they will take care of you.
In our upcoming posts, we will share more background and practical advice on your microbiome health.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5962619/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-020-0433-9
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00194-2
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01835/full
Dein Warenkorb ist leer
Beginn mit dem Einkauf