The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the devastating effect a virus can have on the world’s population.  Other familiar viruses that affect people are the influenza virus, the Ebola virus, and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).  The human body is no stranger to viruses and there is indeed a viper’s nest of viruses in and on the body!  Not only viruses, but there are also other microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and archaea (primitive single-celled organisms) present and in such large numbers that they are viewed as one of the organs of the body.   The bacteria and these other microbes make up what is known as the microbiome, which means “small living community”.  The viruses in the human body are collectively

Microscopically small organisms, consisting of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other single cell organisms, live in and on our bodies.  Some are found on the skin, in the mouth, the nose, the urogenital system, but the vast majority are found in the gastrointestinal tract (known as the gut), particularly in the large intestine (colon).  This body wide collection of microorganisms, including their genetic material, is known as the microbiome.  The term “microbiota” is used to refer to the community of microorganisms themselves, usually in a specific environment, for example the gut microbiota.  These microorganisms play a vital role in the functioning of our bodies and scientists view the microbiome as an “essential organ” of the human body.  More than 1 000

The terms prebiotics, probiotics, and recently postbiotics, are being bandied about in relation to improving gut health.   The distinction is not always clear and the term postbiotics is not widely known.  The term “biotic” is derived from the Greek word “biōtikós”, which means pertaining to life and is generally used when referring to living organisms that make up a biological ecosystem, together with their host. Microorganisms in the gut. We live with about 2 kg of microscopically small organisms in our gastrointestinal tracts (gut), called the gut microbiome.  Consisting of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other single cell organisms, these microorganisms are beneficial colonizers that play an important role in four broad areas of health, namely nutrition, immunity, behavior, and disease.

We may not be aware that we live with 2 kg of microscopically small bacteria in our gastro-intestinal tracts (gut), which play a vital role in the functioning of our bodies. Bacteria are found on the skin, in the mouth, the nose, the urogenital system, but the vast majority are found in the gut, particularly in the large intestine (colon). These bacteria can be beneficial, harmless or harmful to the human body. This collection of bacteria, along with their genetic material, make up the microbiome. The word “microbiome” combines two concepts, where “micro” refers to microorganisms and “biome” refers to a specific habitat that is home to a living community. The terms “microbiome” and “microbiota” are sometimes used interchangeably, but

1.    What are gut bacteria Our bodies are crawling with bacteria!  In the gastro-intestinal tract alone (starting with the mouth and ending at the anus) there are trillions of microorganisms, about 2kg worth of bacteria,  lining this 8m long tube.  And rightly so, as they are doing an excellent job in keeping us healthy. 2.    The role of gut bacteria So how do these bacteria contribute to our health?  The beneficial bacteria, also known as a healthy microbiome, play a vital role in our survival, as they provide a natural physical barrier along the gut wall, to keep it impermeable, and thus to protect us from harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, toxins and other contaminants in the our food and drink.

Sugar and refined carbohydrates feed the bacteria in your mouth that are responsible for tooth decay.  So too fast foods and processed foods cause an imbalance in your gut between the healthy, beneficial bacteria and the unwanted, pathological microbes.  This imbalance, known as dysbiosis,  increases the permeability of the gut wall, (often referred to as “leaky gut”), and contributes to widespread inflammation in the body.  Research has shown that even your appetite control centre in the hypothalamus of the brain, becomes inflamed and damaged in obese persons, contributing to the change in metabolism seen in obesity.  This shift in metabolism to meet the demands of systemic inflammation, results in an overproduction of insulin, increased fat storage and diminished signals that normally

Research over the last decade and more has shown that the human body is not nearly as self-sufficient as we always thought – instead it is a complex ecosystem, containing trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms that inhabit our skin, genital areas, mouth and especially our gut.  Bacterial cells (friendly bacteria) in the human body outnumber human cells 10 to one!  This microbiome – this mixed community of bacteria and microorganisms and the genes they contain – is of no threat to us, but rather offers vital help with basic physiological processes, like digestion, growth and self-defense. Source : Scientific American May 2012