Hi everyone, I’m Sara Seddiqi, Welcome to MicroBioMe insights. I am thrilled to dive into the world of gut microbiomes. Every day, I’ll be diving into a new subtopic to expand my understanding and share insights with you all. Today, I want to create a baseline for myself, understand the basic functions of the gut microbiomes so that i will have a reference for all my research. Throughout this project i would love to research the impact of a diet on our gut and to see if there is a connection.
In a world where diets from Pinterest and TikTok trends abound, I believe it’s important to go deeper into the science behind our food choices. By understanding the role of microbiomes and what it is, we can create a better diet that not only promotes a healthy gut but also empowers us with knowledge. Join me as we uncover the secrets of gut health and make informed choices for a better, healthier future.
The first thing I started this with is the most obvious question of them all…
What is the gut microbiome?:
First of all where is the gut microbiome: When we are referring to the gut we are referring to our gastrointestinal tract. Most of our microbiota either float around or attach to the lining (mucous) on the inner walls of the large intestine.
A biome is a specific ecosystem that has its own living things and its own environment. Our gut which is inside our intestine is actually considered to be a tiny biome. It houses trillions of tiny organisms which consist of many types of bacteria, viruses,fungi and parasites. All of these organisms are housed in our gut. When researching the gut microbiome the most predominant organism being researched in bacteria.
Your gut microbiome is unique to you, we get our first gut microbiomes during birth or from breastfeeding. As we grow, our diets obviously change and so does our environment therefore we are exposing ourselves leading to an addition of new microbes to our gut. Your microbiomes are different from mine, this is because we have different diets yours may be more fiber-heavy while mine may be more fat-heavy nonetheless they are different leading to different microbes in our gut. Some of the things that we are exposed can actually hurt and reduce the number of microbes in our gut. I KNOW! I’m thinking the same thing as you. What can I do to make sure my microbes don’t reduce? Don’t worry this is why I am on this research journey so I can make sure we keep our gut healthy and share it with you all.
There are an estimated number of not 100 thousand, not 100 million, not 100 billion but 100 trillion microbes living on our body and the majority of them are living in our gut microbiome.
Now that I have gathered a better understanding of what it is… it’s time to research its functions within our body.
What does the Gut microbiome do for Us?
When I think of my gut I think of my digestion. There in fact is a relationship with our gut microbiome and our digestive system. Let me explain to you what it is.
The bacteria in our gut work to help break down complex carbohydrates and fibers that our body cant break down on its own. As a byproduct of this function they produce what we call Short chain fatty acids, as well as providing an enzyme which is key for the creation of certain vitamins like B1,B9,B12 and K. Having a lack of these types of vitamins can lead to vitamin deficiency.
Some SCFA examples: acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Overall, these SCFA help in nutrient digestion, drug metabolism, toxin elimination, immunity training, and neurological/endocrinological function regulation.