Your body is full of trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi. They are collectively known as the microbiome. While some bacteria are associated with disease, others are actually extremely important for your immune system, heart, weight, weight and many other aspects of health. This article serves as a guide to the gut microbiome and explains why it’s so important for health.
Microorganisms
Bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microscopic living things are referred to as microorganisms, or microbes, for short. Trillions of these microbes exist mainly inside your intestines and on your skin.
- Although many different types of microbes live inside you, bacteria are the most studied. There are more bacterial cells in your body than human cells.
Gut microbiome and Brain Health
Certain bacteria within the microbiome convert choline and L-carnitine, both of which are nutrients found in red meat and other animal-based food sources, to TMAO, potentially increasing risk factors for heart disease
- Probiotics may help lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, and may help control blood sugar
- The gut microbiome plays a role in controlling blood sugar and may also affect the onset of type 1 diabetes in children
Take a probiotic supplement:
Probiotics are live bacteria that can help restore the gut to a healthy state after dysbiosis. They do this by “reseeding” it with healthy microbes.
- Take antibiotics only when necessary: Antibiotics kill many bad and good bacteria in the gut microbiome, possibly contributing to weight gain and antibiotic resistance. Only take antibiotics when medically necessary.
Gut microbiome refers to all of the microbes in your intestines, which act as another organ that’s crucial for your health.
The gut microbiome affects the body from birth and throughout life by controlling the digestion of food, immune system, central nervous system, and other bodily processes
- Having too many unhealthy microbes can lead to disease, but probiotics can help with weight loss.
Gut microbiome
A healthy gut microbiome controls gut health by communicating with the intestinal cells, digesting certain foods, and preventing disease-causing bacteria from sticking to the intestinal walls.
- Certain unhealthy species in the gut microbiome may also contribute to heart disease by producing trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which may lead to blocked arteries.
