Nearly 100 trillion bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms compose our body’s microflora, and advancing science has made it quite clear that these organisms play a major role in our health, both mental and physical. We are made up of 10 trillion human cells and the aforementioned 100 trillion microbial cells, with the average adult carrying 1.5 kilos of microbes. As a result we are actually 10 times more micro-organisms than cells making us the ultimate hotel. There are incredibly more bacteria inside one persons large intestine than there has ever been people on the planet! And our microbiome is one of the largest organs in the body, being roughly the weight of our brain. As humans, we are literally teeming with microbes, on our skin, digestive tract, respiratory tract, mouth, eyes, nose, everywhere. We are fundamentally elaborate ecosytems with different sets of species of microbes inhabiting different parts of the body and playing different roles in the body. And our gastrointestinal tracts are now considered one of the most complex microbial ecosystems on Earth.
It’s all about the terrain……
You may have a basic awareness that the microbes in your gut affect your digestion. But their influence extends far beyond that to your brain, heart, skin, mood, weight… and the list goes on and on. We live in a society where bacteria have been painted as the bad guys, but we now know that the bacteria serve vital purposes in our bodies. Our gut bacteria manufacture vitamins, support the immune system, prevent growth of harmful bacteria, maintain the health of the gut, produce hormones, affect how we draw nutrition into our bodies and how we store fats, the digestion of food, our metabolism, how drugs affect us, our moods, our memory- the list is endless!
The majority of our microbes (or our micobiome) live in our digestive system with between 500-1100 species of microbes in the gut alone. Present even in the stomach where they are resistant to strong stomach acid, numbers in the small intestine grow to an amazing one million bacteria per ml of intestinal fluid. Microbes really thrive in the large intestine with an incredible 90 % of all the cells in the human body being the microbes here.
The lactobacillus and bifidobacteria species are the two main genuses of bacteria that exist in our digestive system. We inherit them from our mother during gestation, birth and breastfeeding and also from close contact with our immediate family during first few years of life. From recent studies we know that within 838 days after birth (approx 2 ¼ years) we have created our own unique set of microbes that turn into our adult microbiota- incredible isn’t it! Those first few years are just so vital and important for laying down the foundations of our future health for that reason alone! Our microbiomes grow to be very variable, very complex , very individual and very important.
So how do we look after our microbes? And what harms them? Stay tuned for more info!
I am a gut health and detoxification specialist, offering exact laboratory testing ( I can test for leaky gut, what good bacteria you do have and what’s missing, the list goes on), individualized and effective herbal and nutritional remedies, tailored dietary programmes and a wealth of knowledge to help your gut maintain and remain healthy. Remember its never too late to positively influence or change our bacteria and microbiomes!
Looking to give your amazing gut microbes the chance to flourish and prosper for good health? Then check out my Easy Spring Detox HERE and kiss goodbye to harmful sugar cravings for good! (Hint: Excess processed sugar is no good for your good bacteria!)
In good health as ever,
Victoria xoxox
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