The Microbiome
Your MICROBIOME is the collection of MICROBES living in and on your body. Most live in your GUT (intestines), but also on skin, in mouth, in nose, in the urogenital tract. Different parts of your body host different communities. The gut microbiome includes 500-1000+ bacterial species. Most are helpful or neutral; some are essential. The microbiome is now considered like another organ system — vital for health.
What it does. DIGESTION: breaks down complex carbs, makes some vitamins (K, B12, biotin). IMMUNITY: trains immune cells to distinguish threats from harmless bystanders; about 70% of immune cells live near gut. PROTECTION: occupies niches, preventing pathogens from establishing. MOOD: produces serotonin precursors and other neurotransmitters; "gut-brain axis" links gut microbes to anxiety, depression, autism research. METABOLISM: influences weight, metabolic disease.
What is the BEST way to support a healthy microbiome?
Microbiome research is HOT. FECAL TRANSPLANTS (transferring stool from a healthy donor) cure ~90% of recurrent C. difficile infections. Research links gut microbiome to obesity, diabetes, autism, depression, autoimmune disease, even cancer treatment effectiveness. The frontier is enormous. We are only beginning to understand the microbiome's influence on health.
Diversify
For one week, try to eat 10+ different plant foods (vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts). Plus a fermented food (yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut). Notice if you feel different. Microbiome support is dietary diversity.
You are not just one organism. You are an ecosystem. Caring for your microbes is caring for yourself.
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