Ok, so you’ve heard of ‘the microbiome’ but…what is it? Where is it? How do you test it? And, What can you do to improve the health of your microbiota?
In this post we’ll cover all that and more. We even link to a few cutting edge companies that allow you to test your microbiome from your home.
What Is The Microbiome?
The microbiome is the collection of all the microbes that live in and on our bodies.
These include bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses.
Why Is The Microbiome Important?
We now know that the microbiome is important for a number of reasons:
- Helps us digest food: The microbiome helps us break down complex carbohydrates and fiber that we can’t digest on our own
- Protects us from pathogens: The microbiome keeps harmful bacteria and other pathogens from taking over our bodies
- Regulates our immune system: The microbiome helps to keep our immune system functioning properly
- Produces vitamins and other compounds that we need for good health: The microbiome produces vitamins, such as vitamin K, and other compounds that are important for our health
Worldwide a number of research programs are being undertaken in microbes to study how these play an important role in health.
Where Is The Microbiome Found?
The microbiome is found in a number of places in and on our bodies, including:
- The skin: The microbiome helps to protect the skin from pathogens and to keep it hydrated
- The gut: The microbiome helps to break down food, absorb nutrients, and protect the gut from harmful bacteria
- The respiratory system: The microbiome helps to filter out harmful bacteria and viruses from the air we breathe
- The urinary system: The microbiome helps to keep the urinary tract free of infection
How Does The Microbiome Develop?
Several factors influence microbiome development, starting with how you were born; including delivery mode, method of milking and the introduction of solid foods consumed daily in children.
The microbiome is constantly changing, and it can be affected by a number of factors, including:
- Diet: The type and amount of food we eat can influence the microbiome
- Age: The microbiome changes as we age
- Medications: Antibiotics and other medications can affect the microbiome
- Disease: Diseases such as cancer can cause changes in the microbiome
The microbiome is a complex and dynamic system, and it is still not fully understood.
What Does The Gut Microbiome Affect?
The microbiome has been linked to a variety of conditions and diseases, including:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Eczema
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Autism spectrum disorder
How Can I Make My Microbiome Work?
You can make your microbiome work for you by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. You can also take probiotics and prebiotics to help support a healthy microbiome.
- Eating a healthy diet: A healthy diet is important for a number of reasons, including maintaining a healthy microbiome. Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will help ensure that you’re getting the nutrients you need for good health.
- Avoiding antibiotics unless absolutely necessary: Antibiotics can kill both good and bad bacteria. When they kill the good bacteria, it can disrupt the microbiome and lead to a number of problems.
How Do Antibiotics Disrupt Your Microbiome?
Antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria but they don’t discriminate between good and bad bacteria which can lead to a number of problems, including:
An overgrowth of bad bacteria: When good bacteria are killed, it can allow bad bacteria to grow unchecked. This can lead to an infection or other problems.
An imbalance in the microbiome: An imbalance in the microbiome can lead to a number of problems, including diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
A weakening of the immune system: The microbiome helps to regulate the immune system. When your microbiome is out of balance, it can weaken the immune system and make you more susceptible to infections and other illnesses.
How Can I Improve My Microbiome?
There are a number of things you can do to improve your microbiome:
- Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables
- Reduce sugar and processed foods
- Get enough sleep
- Exercise regularly
- Take probiotics
- Limit antibiotics
- Reduce stress
- Quit smoking
- Drink plenty of water
- Eat fermented foods
What Is The Gut Microbiome Role In Digestion And Nutrition?
The microbiome is responsible for a number of tasks, including:
- Breaking down food
- Regulating our immune system
- Protecting the gut from harmful bacteria
- Keeping the urinary tract free of infection
The Human Microbiome: An Organ In Its Own Right
Several large-scale genomic studies have shown that 3.3 million unique protein-encoding genes are encoded in human cells as in the human genome.
These studies demonstrate that dietary microbiota’s are beneficial to the health of individuals at a genetic level.
How Do I Test My Microbiome?
Microbiology testing can be performed at a doctor’s office or at your home, by taking stool samples. However, unlike blood tests, these faecal testing require freshly collected stools.
Tools for Microbial Analysis
Rapid and innovative sequencing techniques have enhanced our knowledge about our microbes and how they can be identified. The dramatic reduction in sequencing costs over the past few years has allowed the identification of specific microbes that can not only survive but are easily grown.
Researchers can generate millions of sequencing samples to evaluate the difference between microbial communities between organisms and people.
Using modern sequencing technologies we have needed to develop more powerful computational methods to manage large numbers of sequence data.
Which Companies Allow You To Test Your Microbiome?
At home testing is now available from a number of companies, including:
These companies offer microbiome testing kits that you can use at home.
The kits usually involve taking a stool sample and sending it off to the company for analysis. You will then receive a report detailing the composition of your microbiome and how it compares to other people’s.
Future Potential Of Microbiota Manipulation For The Treatment Of Disease
The microbiome is an important part of the human body and dysbiosis, or an imbalance of microbes in the body, has been linked to a variety of diseases.
Microbiologistry is a rapidly evolving field for microbiologists to study.
The evidence for dysbiosis treatments is abundant and suggests that they can help manage certain diseases. For example, a faecal microbiota transplantation program has recently been proposed to improve the survival of flora and bacterium.
This work is expected to help us understand the human microbiome interaction in diseases.
What Is Microbiologistry
Microbiologistry is the study of microbiome, their effects on human health, and how to manipulate them.
It is a rapidly evolving field with the potential to revolutionize our understanding of human health and disease.
Summary
The microbiome is a collection of microbes that live on and in the human body.
These microbes have a variety of functions, including aiding in digestion, regulating the immune system, and producing vitamins and other compounds that we need for good health.
There are a number of things you can do to improve your microbiome, including eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and taking probiotics and limiting antibiotics to help support a healthy microbiome.
The study of the microbiome is a rapidly evolving field and microbiome manipulation is a potential treatment for dysbiosis (an imbalance of microbes in the body).
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