The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Your Health

When it comes to human health, the role of the gut microbiome is often overlooked and misunderstood. Have you ever asked ourself what makes digestion a smooth process? What about how food is digested and what is responsible for digestion? Before we dig into all this, let’s take a look at the gut microbiome.

 

What is the gut microbiome?

These are the microorganisms living in the digestive tract of the human gut. Also known as the gut microbiota, they include archaea and bacteria. However, the bacteria in the gut are the good bacteria that promotes health.

The body has billions of bacteria, viruses and fungi and they collectively make the gut microbiome. Some bacteria are harmful and associated with diseases while others are extremely important for the immune system, weight, heart, and other important health aspects.

 

The role of the gut microbiome in your health

For millions of years, the human body has managed to live and survive with microbes. During all this time, the microbes have adapted and now play a vial role in the human body. Without the gut microbiome, surviving would be so tough. The gut microbiome starts affecting the body once you’re born.

The most important role of the gut microbiome is in helping control digestion. It has the capacity for fermentation of the non-digestible fibers in the body. When you eat, the gut microbiome helps the body break down the food into essential nutrients including amino acids and vitamins.

With the non-digestible fibers, the gut breaks them into short chain fatty acids. The most important of these are propionate, acetate, and butyrate. Acetate is the most abundant but butyrate is vital energy source for the body cells that make up the inner lining of the colon. The lack of the short chain fatty acids is known to play a role in microbiome related issues like gut inflammation and leaky gut.

The gut plays a role in intestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. People suffering from irritable bowel syndrome experience bloating, abdominal pain, and cramps due to gut dysbiosis. The microbes produce gas and other chemicals that contribute to those intestinal discomfort symptoms.

A healthy gut means a healthy body and a healthy immune system. If you want a healthy gut and get rid of microbiome related diseases such as IBS, probiotics should be part of your diet. These promote the production of good bacteria in the gut. This way, the gut makes the most of your food and promotes good health.

 

Sources:

1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-leaky-gut-real

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26912499

3. https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2179

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