The microbiome consists of the harmful and beneficial microbes in the body. Some a symbiotic meaning they help both the host and the microbiota. Others are pathogenic meaning they promote disease. Most of these are in the gut but some lie elsewhere. A microbe is a microorganism, especially a bacterium that causes disease or fermentation (Oxford English Dictionary). According to the Centre for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health humans are mostly microbes. Microbes outnumber our human cells ten to one. The bacteria in the microbiome aid food digestion, protect against harmful bacteria, and produce vitamins including B12, thiamine and riboflavin, and Vitamin K, which is needed for blood coagulation. The Human Microbiome Project (HMP) funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is worldwide research mapping the human microbiome.
Your gut bacteria may be responsible for your insomnia according to an article by nutritionist Judy Chinitz in biomedbuzz.com. According to the research pro-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-6 seem to be the link between sleep and the gut microbiome. The dysregulation of this cytokine has been linked to other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and psoriasis. Increased gut bacterial diversity has been associated with better sleep. In particular Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes are positively associated with sleep efficiency.
In the Western world we are not concerned about dietary iron (Martin, November 07, 2019). However about a quarter of the worlds population is iron deficient. The gut bacteria play a role in where this iron goes to. Iron deficiency anaemia can lead to symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue and heart palpitations. Too much iron can lead to a condition called haemochromatosis.
People with fibromyalgia have different gut bacteria reports Catherine Paddock in Medical News Today (June 24, 2019.) A study in women showed that 19 different gut bacteria were present in higher or lower numbers in patients with fibromyalgia.
Tea compounds and the Microbiome. "The findings (of the study in pubmed) appear to support the hypothesis that tea ingestion could favourably regulate the profile of the gut microbiome and help to offset dysbiosis triggered by obesity or high-fat diets."
Western Lifestyle can be a threat to gut bacteria. ScienceDaily.com report on a study of a common gut microbe. Previous studies have shown a connection between Western Lifestyle and obesity, GI disorders, allergies and autoimmune disease. Prevotella copri a microbe found in the intestine of Ötzi, the iceman found in Ötztal Alps and in non westernised countries is only present in 30% of Western Individuals.
An article in medicalxpress.com looks at how genetic differences in the immune system shape the microbiome of mice. Most of the differences are due to innate polymorphic genes, or different variations of genes in the MHC.
Probiotics May Actually Be Hurting Your ‘Gut Health’ according to The Wall Street Journal (October 21, 2019). Taking probiotics that often only include two strains of bacteria can lead to a reduction in the variety of healthy bacteria in our body.
I can help you to improve your Microbiome (gut bacteria) by giving you dietary advice that is tailored to you.