Did you know that your intestinal bacteria, and the diseases that compromise your health, are closely linked?
Bacteria are microbes that fill and cover your entire body. The lot of them, along with fungi and virus, is your unique assortment called microbiome. They are a gift from you mother during birth ,and developed through your lifestyle.
What is Gut Bacteria?
“Without gut bacteria, we wouldn’t be anything. They are a critical part of us and essential to our health,” says Michel Snyder, PhD., director of Stanford University’s Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine.
Your intestine is lined with bacteria. They aid digestion, create essential vitamins, inform your immune system, and assist the brain by forming small molecules.
Research seems to indicate that healthy people retain “a very different mix of bacteria” in their intestines compared to unhealthy people. There is keen interest from some scientists in outlining healthy gut bacteria.
Research also suggests that a diverse set of microbiome is healthiest as well.
What is Your Gut Telling You?
Bacteria may be a way for medical professionals to understand and facilitate earlier diagnoses more accurately.
The immune system appears bolstered by certain bacteria and inflamed by others.
“Many diseases — of the skin, lungs, joints, and other tissue — are caused by inflammation,” notes Joseph Petrosino, PhD., director of the Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research at Baylor College of Medicine. “A bacterial imbalance can lead to elevated inflammation that can advance disease.”
Care and Feeding of Your Microbiome
Can you change your gut bacteria and reduce your risk for of disease?
You may be able to “reshape” your microbiome. “If you make a long-term dietary change — for example from a high-fat, high-sugar diet to a leaner, more high-fiber diet– it’s possible that you could reshape your microbiome, giving it a healthier profile,” Petrosino says.
This rejuvenated gut will improve your immune system, reduce inflammation, and improve overall health.
Beyond lifestyle, medical treatments will improve too.
“You could envision a therapy, where people are actually taking specific microbiota, that actually helps them prevent obesity or diabetes,” says Dr. Snyder.
Read the full article here: What Is Your Gut Bacteria Telling You?
