Post No. 15 What is the gut microbiome?

 

Our gut microbiome may not be a food topic at the forefront of our minds, but it is really important for our health and wellbeing.

What is the gut microbiome?Well the human microbiome is all the bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses that live on or within our bodies and there are trillions of them, some good, some not so good. They all have an impact on how our bodies function. Lots of technical names are used... flora, microbiota (the community of microorganisms). [1,2] The gut microbiome is a way of describing those microorganisms that live in our gut and they play a really important role in our health and wellbeing.

How is the gut microbiome formed? From birth and our delivery into the world and through breast milk our gut microbiome is initially formed. [3] Our mothers are very important in supporting our initial microbiome. As we live longer on the planet we are exposed to different microorganisms, different foods and our wider environment which then means our gut microbiome changes. 

We can have good microorganisms that are of benefit to us and our health and harmful ones (pathogens) that are linked to certain diseases. 

What do these microorganisms do?

Gut bacteria help us to digest our food, especially complex fibre which they break down into smaller molecules that can be absorbed. The range or diversity of different bacteria is linked to the diversity of our diet and whether we take certain medicines, artificial ingredients in processed foods will affect our gut microbiome [4]. 

Is the gut microbiome unique?

Yes, the gut microbiome is unique to each individual and is affected by a whole range of factors including what we eat. How our wellbeing affects our gut microorganism diversity and how our gut microorganism diversity affects our physical and mental wellbeing is being investigated by a number of researchers. [4] 

There is lots of research and personal interest in what role we can play in promoting good gut health, good for wellbeing and our immune system. 

[1] https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2179

[2] https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-020-00875-0

[3] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/microbiome/ 

[4] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2020.01.016