What Is The Human Microbiome?

Learn about the human microbiome and why it matters. Here are a few things you can do to keep your gut healthy!

Before I delve too deeply into the waters of the human microbiome, I should confess that I have a Master’s degree in Neuroscience and spent a few years working as a health care planner. I am definitely someone who likes science-y stuff. So I will try my best to be brief, non-technical and to the point.

What is our microbiome?

Probably the easiest place to start is with a few basic facts about the human microbiome.

1. Our bodies are home to millions of bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.  Our bodies are a micro “tiny” biome “home”.
2. The tiny guys that live in our bodies live everywhere… in our noses, on our skin, in our lungs, and our digestive system.  In fact, human cells make up less than half of the cells in our bodies. Our microbiome is really huge.
3. The good guys help us stay healthy and happy. The bad guys cause all sorts of problems, like food poisoning, lung infections, and skin rashes.
4. Diet and other lifestyle choices can really affect the make-up of your microbiome. So it’s a good idea to feed your microbiome a healthy diet.

Why you need to Love your microbiome

Your microbiome is HUGELY influential. It has a lot of impact on your health and well-being. The research into the importance of microbiome health is extensive.

Here are just a few ways that the human microbiome influences health and well-being:

• Our microbiome is our first line of protection. It helps to prevent infections and protects our skin from sun damage.
• It is a big part of gut health and helps you break down foods and absorb vitamins.
• What you like to eat is affected by the makeup of your microbiome, and it plays a role in obesity and type 2 diabetes.
• There is a link between microbiome health and cancer.
• It also influences mood and behavior.

Phew, I could go on and on, but it’s pretty clear from this short list that the human microbiome is very important.

How to keep your microbiome healthy

Since a healthy microbiome is clearly linked to a healthy you, it makes sense to take care of your microbiome. There’s lots and lots of advice about how to keep your microbiome healthy.

I’ve been working on microbiome health since 2014. Obviously, I have a bias toward fermentation, but really, it’s very simple to know how to take care of your microbiome.

–> Everything that is good for your health (sleep, exercise, healthy diet, low stress, fresh air) is also good for your microbiome!

If you want specific details, here’s a post I wrote on how to feed your microbiome. It’s a really simple diet that works for everyone, regardless of whether you’re vegan, keto, or omnivore.