The Gut
Germs and bacteria are heavily feared by many. We are a society who wants to eradicate them all. We love our antibacterial soap and sanitzers, mouthwash and cleaners. Wherever germs and bacteria hide, we wanted them eliminated. Truth is our gut is made up of trillions of bacteria, keeping us healthy. There are so many people investigating and writing about how these bacteria (microbes) impact our gut and oral health, immune system, blood sugar regulation and mental health.
This is a topic I am deeply intrigued by and continue to learn more and more about.
What is the microbiome?
It’s the community of microorgamis particularly intestinal bacteria. But also includes things such as viruses, yeast and fungi that live in (and on us). These microorganism are our companions through life because they’re always with us. We hear a lot about our gut microbiome, however theses bacteria also live on all mucous membranes and all over our skin.
Some intersting facts about the microbiome:
Dogs affect our microbiome- there is evidence that those who have dogs as pets have a more diverse microbiome.
During a 10 second kiss you transfer 80 million different bacteria from one to another
Our large intestine houses 500- 1,000 different species of microorganisms
A single gram of poop contains 100 billion microorganisms
We are out number 10:1 bacteria to human cells
The gut microbiome has its own metabolic and immune activity
In one square centimetre of skin, there are one billion microbes!
There are 100 trillion bacteria in and on us and up to one-thousand different species
What affects our gut health:
Diet- the foods we eat daily matter!
Early feeding and the introduction of foods
Genetics
Infections
Pharmaceutical medications, such as antibiotics
Stress
Immune Health
The intestinal tract is the primary point of contact between our immune system and our environment. Intestinal bacteria plays an important role regulating immune function. Such as regulation of antimicrobial factors produced by immune cells, protect against inflammatory disorders such as allergies, arthritis, and colitis. This is evidence that has found that the composition of bacteria in infants and children with allergies differed from those without allergies.
Digestion & Metabolism
Bacteria in the gut produce a number of nutrients such as
amino acids
Vitamin K
Many B vitamins
They also are important for the absorption of mineral (calcium, magnesium, iron). Also important for energy metabolism and breaking down undigested foods (carbohydrates). The production of neurotransmitters like 95% of serotonin and 50% of dopamine happens in the gut.
Imbalances in the gut, known as dysbiosis, have been associated with
insulin resistance
diabetes
obesity.
This is the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the microbiome does for us, and the science is absolutely exploding. We can now start to see the importance of the microbiome, its role in metabolism, immune health and the nervous system. We can start to understand the impact it can have on our overall health. Understanding the function and factors that affect the gut are instrumental un supporting the building of health within ourselves!
