What Is The Gut Microbiota?
The gut microbiota refers to the microorganism community living in our digestive tract. There are more microbes living in our gut than human cells. Scientific developments in sequencing have revealed the vast microbial diversity within our guts. We have evolved with these species of bacteria for so long we can no longer function without them.
What Does The Gut Microbiota Do?
Different species of microbe perform different vital tasks in the body like aiding digestion and regulating your immune system. As different species perform different jobs, studies have shown that species diversity in the gut is correlated with better health outcomes.
Can I Affect The Species In My Gut?
Studies have shown that a higher quality diet increases the diversity of the gut microbiota. Conversely, eating certain types of foods can cause “dysbiosis” which is a reduction in microbial diversity, a loss of beneficial species, and growth of harmful species.
