The Gut Zoo
Gut what, gut who, humans have a gut zoo?? Pretty much! The National Institutes of Health and many brilliant scientists have been dedicated to mapping out our microbial populations through the Human Microbiome Project (microbiome is just a fancy-pants word for the entire population of organisms that live in, on, and among our bodies). As we continue to gain info about our microbiomes and how they affect our gastrointestinal systems, immune systems and our overall health, it’s important to take care of our gut and it’s zoo!
The purpose of this microbial zoo is multi-functional:
To fight infections
To encourage a healthy immune response throughout the body
To aid in digestion
To manufacture important vitamins (yes, bacteria make vitamins!)
To breakdown fat, extract calories, and in turn, manage body weight
and much more… including tasks we may not yet be aware of!
So you can see, there are lots of value in keeping the zoo nicely maintained and the microbial animals happy.
And more mystery surrounds the actual ratio of bacteria to human cells is. Previously, studies pointed towards there being 10 bacterial cells for every human cell. A ratio of 10 to 1, whoa! More recently, findings point towards the ratio being closer to 3 to 1 or even 1 to 1. So while the verdict is still out, it’s a pretty big deal to know we’ve got sooooooooo many bacteria in our human bodies. This means that you’re either outnumbered or certainly very well-matched by these unique little commensals and basically, humans are just big blobs of bacteria. It’s time we pay a little respect, offer a little TLC, and see to it that they are kept happy and healthy because they own us!
We do know that there are over 400 species of bacteria in the human gut, more microbes even than there are stars in the galaxy! The most talked-about species tend to be Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces boulardii, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Candida (yeast), Helicobacter Pylori, Staphylococcus (Staph) and Streptomyces (Strep). Each person’s gut zoo may have any combo of these species and it varies widely depending on how a person is born (vaginal delivery vs C-section), what kind of food you’re eating, alcohol intake, medication usage, stress, stomach acid, and even the aging process can diminish gut flora. And microbial populations also vary based on where you were born and live, lifestyle practices and more. Unfortunately, many people suffer from out-of-whack bacterial populations (called dysbiosis) and the presence of some of the yucky guys, like yeast. Key studies point towards having a wide variety of robust microbes, in proper balance with each other as being the most supportive of overall health. Check out our blog on pre + probiotics and dietary strategies to learn how to re-balance and maintain your microbiome!
We’ll leave you with this… we’ve all seen signs at the zoo that read, “don’t feed the animals.” In this case, PLEASE feed the animals, and make sure it’s the good stuff—lots of fruits + veggies and minimally processed foods. It truly is all about the gut so, keep that gut zoo happy!
Until next time, happiness and health to you and all of your gut critters!