What is the Gut Microbiome and Why It’s Key to Your Health

The microbiome is a community of more than 100 trillion microorganisms living in our body—about 10 times the number of human cells! This vast collection varies from person to person and from one body site to another.

The gut microbiome is crucial for our health. Yet, with our modern diet — even a single innocent visit to the supermarket— we have managed to disrupt it. Hippocrates aptly noted, “All diseases begin in the gut.”

Why Is Our Microbiome Important?

The microbiome helps digest food, produce vitamins, protect against pathogens, and regulate the immune system. Disruptions can lead to various health conditions, including weight gain, obesity, allergies, and autoimmune diseases.

Research on the human microbiome is still developing, but many already feel how gut microorganisms influence our bodies. For instance, digestive issues often respond to stress—a sensation akin to “butterflies” in our stomachs when we’re in love.

Antibiotics and Our Microbiome

We’re meant to host trillions of beneficial bacteria on our skin, in our mouths, and particularly in our guts. Dr. Stephen Gundry compares this richness and diversity to a “tropical rainforest.” However, we weren’t fully aware of their existence until the Human Microbiome Project concluded in 2016. Now, we understand these “gut buddies” are vital for bodily communication and health.

Also, we didn’t know that the introduction of broad-spectrum antibiotics in mid 1970s would destroy our microbiome. While broad-spectrum antibiotics have saved countless lives by killing all infectious bacteria, they have also decimated our internal rainforest of beneficial microbes.

Additionally, glyphosate, marketed as Roundup, was introduced as a weed killer in 1974. What many of us don’t realize is that Roundup was originally patented as an antibiotic. Given how antibiotics affect beneficial gut bacteria, consuming foods like bread, oats, cereals, rice, soybeans, and corn treated with glyphosate can significantly harm our health and ruin our weight loss efforts.

So what are we supposed to do now?

Restoring a Healthy Microbiome

How Can We Support Our Microbiome?

• Eat a Nutritious Diet: Focus on fruits, vegetables, and whole, organic, non-GMO grains to encourage the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.
• Take Probiotics: These live bacteria can be taken as supplements or consumed in fermented foods like yogurt and kefir to restore gut balance.
• Avoid Unnecessary Antibiotics: While antibiotics are crucial at times, overuse can deplete beneficial bacteria. Use them only when absolutely necessary.
• Manage Stress: Stress can disrupt the microbiome. Exercise and meditation are effective ways to maintain a healthy gut.

Benefits of a Healthy Gut Microbiome

• Improved Digestion: Promotes efficient food breakdown and nutrient absorption.
• Stronger Immune System: Helps protect the body from pathogens.
• Reduced Allergy and Asthma Risk: Regulates the immune system, potentially decreasing allergy and asthma prevalence.
• Better Mental Health: Plays a role in mental health, influencing conditions like depression and anxiety.
• Cancer Protection: A healthy microbiome may suppress tumor growth, offering some protection against cancer.

The human microbiome is a complex and fascinating system still under study. However, we are gaining insight into its critical role in human health. By taking proactive steps to support a healthy microbiome, we can enhance our overall health and well-being.