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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Few people realize that they carry around more microbes on and inside their body than there are stars in the Milky Way. These helpful hitchhikers collectively weigh about 3 pounds. Most people think microbes are germs that can make you sick. But, to the contrary, your microbiome, your unique individual collection of organisms too small to be seen by the naked eye, is actually vital to the workings of your digestive tract, immune system and brain.
Thanks to a new exhibit, The Secret World Inside You, at the American Museum of Natural History, between now and next summer, over 5 million people will learn about the value of the symbiotic relationship between microbes and their human hosts. This exhibit will help to change the public’s understanding of their ecosystem and how they can protect it or destroy it.
Exploring the human microbiome is a young science. We know that each of us is home to trillions of microbes that include bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Your microbiome affects you in many ways and may play a role in common health problems such as allergies, asthma, obesity and even mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
We know that when a person eats foods rich in fiber they supply the type of carbohydrate that many microbes thrive on. Those who eat little fiber may not have a favorable colony of gut microbes which can negatively affect health and increase your risk for infection. The size of your waistline may depend on which bacteria live in your gut and they may determine blood concentrations of HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Your human microbiome can boost your immune function, help to metabolize drugs, produce vitamins and anti-inflammatory compounds, and may even affect chemicals that relay messages to brain cells.
Millions of microbes enter your body daily. A single kiss can transfer up to 80 million bacteria between two people. Though microbes live on your skin, the digestive tract is a moist, warm, sheltered place where microbes can thrive. It is home to 99% of your microbiome. Between 100 to 200 species live in your mouth. Either they do no harm or protect your from infection or under certain conditions they may play a role in tooth decay, bad breath and gum disease.
Few microbes can flourish in the acidic environment of your stomach, but they thrive in the small and large intestines where food is digested and its residue is fermented by microbes. Here microbes aid digestion, regulate your immune system, prevent diseases, boost healing and protect the lining of your gut. They also help to control appetite, aid in brain development, and even affect emotions.
The food we eat directly affects our microbiome. For example, red meat is an important source of protein but research has also shown it feeds bacteria that can increase your risk for heart disease. Yogurt, on the other hand, helps to nourish those microbes that stimulate your immune system and helps to destroy bacteria that causes disease.
Pregnancy, birth, adolescence and old age can alter your microbiome. Babies pick up microbes from their mothers as they travel down the birth canal. They accumulate more through breastfeeding. Researchers have discovered that babies born by Cesarean have a different microbiome than babies born naturally. The long-term effects of Cesarean birth are not yet known, but researchers speculate that there might be a higher risk for allergies, asthma, gut infections and even diabetes. In addition to age, the biggest shift in your microbiome happens when you change your diet or take antibiotics. Though needed to destroy harmful infections, antibiotics also kill off many helpful microbes.
Some researchers believe that overuse of antibiotics and continual use of sanitizing solutions may be jeopardizing the colonies of our helpful microbes. In the last few decades we have seen a decrease in infections in developed countries with a corresponding increase in autoimmune disease and allergies. Coexisting with our invisible neighbors may be more important to your health than we have ever realized.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with sales of more than 8.5 million books.
Look for:
The Diabetes Counter, 5th Ed., 2014
The Fat and Cholesterol Counter, 2014
The Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2013
The Calorie Counter, 6th Ed., 2013
The Complete Food Counter, 4th ed., 2012
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.
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