What is the Microbiome?

What is the Microbiome?

Introduction

The word "microbiome" was first used in the early 2000s, but it wasn't until recently that scientists and doctors began to understand the important role these microbes play in our health. The microbiome is the army of microbes — bacteria, fungi, and viruses — that live on and inside your body. The majority of your microbes live in your gut. There are ten times more bacterial cells in your close-knit community than there are human cells in your body — even though each individual bacterium is much smaller than a human cell. Your microbiome changes over time, as you age and if you move to a new area, but it also changes dramatically with different experiences. For example

The microbiome is the army of microbes — bacteria, fungi, and viruses — that live on and inside your body.

The microbiome is the army of microbes — bacteria, fungi, and viruses — that live on and inside your body. In fact, your microbiome has more genes than all the cells in your body.

These microbes have been with us since long before we were even human: our ancestors evolved with them beginning back at least 2 billion years ago when they first appeared on Earth. As a result, they’re important players in many aspects of our health by helping us digest food and fight off disease-causing bugs like bacteria or viruses that can cause sicknesses such as cholera or bubonic plague (both caused by viruses).

The majority of your microbes live in your gut.

As we mentioned, the majority of your microbes live in your gut. The gut microbiome is the largest microbiome in the body and has a huge impact on your immune system and digestion. It also helps to break down food, which is why it's important for overall health.

There are ten times more bacterial cells in your close-knit community than there are human cells in your body — even though each individual bacterium is much smaller than a human cell.

Just as you have a unique genetic code, your microbiome—the community of microorganisms that live on and in your body—is also unique. And this means we can use our microbiomes to learn about what makes each person different.

For example, one study found that people with higher levels of Bacteroides were more likely to be thin than those who had lower levels. This could mean that certain bacteria promote weight loss or gain by adjusting how the body processes food.

Another study found that certain strains of Lactobacillus are linked to increased anxiety and depression among mice! So even though most studies show positive effects from probiotics like Lactobacilli (for instance, they’ve been shown to lower cholesterol), they aren’t guaranteed to help everyone equally

Your microbiome changes over time, as you age and if you move to a new area, but it also changes dramatically with different experiences. For example, having a baby or undergoing surgery can change it substantially.

Your microbiome changes over time, as you age and if you move to a new area, but it also changes dramatically with different experiences. For example, having a baby or undergoing surgery can change it substantially.

The variables that affect your microbiota include: diet (what you eat), exercise and stress levels. This means that if you start eating healthier or getting more sleep, your microbiome may change as well! However, there are other factors outside of our control that affect our microbiomes too — namely where we live and who we’re around.

Researchers have found evidence suggesting that microbes can be transferred from person to person via the air or water supply in certain contexts such as hospitals where they work together on some projects related specifically managing infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria like Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).

Your microbiome is unique to you, but people who are related to one another tend to have similar microbiomes; you may inherit some of the good bacteria in your gut from your parents.

Studies suggest that people with depression may have less diverse microbiomes than those without depression.

The microbiome is also associated with many aspects of physical health. For example, it's been shown to be involved in obesity and diabetes. But research suggests that the microbiome may also play a role in mental health conditions like depression.

In one study, researchers compared the gut microbiomes of people with and without depression. They found that people with depression had less diverse microbiomes than those without depression—and that these differences were linked to specific gut bacteria (specifically species called Firmicutes) as well as changes in how genes were expressed throughout the body (known as epigenetic changes). The researchers think that these changes are related to inflammation—a common feature among people with depression or other mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders—which has been tied to imbalances in our gut microbiota too!

A good balance of probiotics can improve mood; for example, yogurt has probiotics that may help boost mood.

Probiotics are good for your gut health, and they can help improve mood.

The Mayo Clinic defines probiotics as “good bacteria,” or the microorganisms that naturally occur inside your body. They're typically found in fermented food like yogurt and kefir, but you can also get them in supplement form. When taken regularly, probiotics may help improve your immune system, lower cholesterol levels and even improve mood (so long as you're not lactose intolerant).

In fact, some studies suggest that probiotics could be used to treat depression—and in one study published on PLOS One this year (2016), researchers found that taking a combination of probiotic supplements was effective at reducing symptoms of depression after just eight weeks!

If you're concerned about your microbiome, there are things you can do to help keep its bacteria as healthy as possible; eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, get enough sleep and practice mindfulness meditation.

  • If you're concerned about your microbiome, there are things you can do to help keep its bacteria as healthy as possible: eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, get enough sleep and practice mindfulness meditation.

  • Fruits and vegetables contain fiber. This is important because it helps move food through your digestive system quickly so that less time is spent in the gut for digestion (and thus fewer "bad" bacteria have a chance to thrive).

Your microbiome influences both your physical and mental health.

The microbiome is a system of trillions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live in your body. It's in every organ and tissue, from your mouth to your feet.

The microbiome can affect both physical and mental health. Having a healthy microbiome may help protect against diseases like asthma and diabetes, as well as conditions like depression.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that your microbiome plays a crucial role in your health, and it can be affected by many factors. We know that the bacteria in our gut are related to inflammation and disease, but we don’t fully understand how this happens or how to treat it. In addition, research suggests that probiotics may improve mood and anxiety in people with depression. If you’re concerned about your microbiome, there are things you can do to help keep its bacteria as healthy as possible — eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, get enough sleep and take Nouri's daily probiotics

Written by Caroline Beckman
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