Humans harbor trillions of bacteria in their bodies.
Collectively they are called the microbiome, a collection of mainly a half dozen categories of bacteria that serve a multitude of useful functions. They assist the body in the digestion of hard-to-digest carbohydrates, creating short chain fatty acids that in appropriate amounts assist the growth and development of many body systems and work together with the body to create and regulate gut hormones, prevent cancers of the gut, and stimulate the production of some neurotransmitters.
These bacteria help create vitamins that the human body cannot produce and assist in the absorption of minerals and other vitamins. Their presence in the gut suppresses the growth of disease-causing bacteria. And finally these bacteria, especially in early life, help train the immune system to recognize and destroy bad bacteria and harmful molecules and to ignore (not react to) good bacteria and innocuous molecules.
But there needs to be a balance and a diversity of the major kinds of bacteria in the microbiome. Citing one example of many, if the percentage of Firmicutes is high, the diversity of the microbiome decreases and the metabolism and especially absorption of carbohydrate and short chain fatty acids increase leading to obesity, diabetes, colon inflammatory diseases, and some cancers of the bowel and elsewhere. If the microbiome tips too far in this direction, the function of the immune system decreases.
If the percentage of Bacteroides is high, the diversity of the microbiome increases (a good thing at first) and the production of short chain fatty acids increases, and the incidence of obesity, diabetes, and colon disease decreases. If the microbiome tips too far in this direction, cancer cell growth is stimulated and autoimmune disease increases.
While much about the management of the microbiome is yet to be learned, there are some logical steps to help optimize the microbiome.
1) Avoid foods that tip the microbiome to less diversity, like animal protein, high fat foods, and high glycemic index foods. Fruits, vegetables and plant proteins correct this imbalance.
2) Avoid artificial sweeteners that tip the microbiome to less diversity and toward obesity. Also avoid simple carbohydrates which increase fat production and obesity.
3) With diet and exercise, avoid obesity which unbalances the microbiome and increases several diseases.
4) Avoid animal products produced with low-level antibiotics which distort and destroy the normal microbiome, allowing the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria.
5) Over the age of 40, in consultation with your health care provider, use probiotics or prebiotics to rebalance the microbiome which can assist in improving or eliminating several disease processes.
Adjusting and maintaining the microbiome does not guarantee good health. But encouraging the proper balance of the microbiome with good health habits is one more step toward a healthier you.