The Microbiome

A microbiome is trillions of microorganisms inside of our bodies. These include bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. When people are healthy, all of them coexist in the person’s body. Every person’s microbiome is different, and their DNA determines what theirs looks like. One way in which these microbiota affect the body, is that they stimulate the immune system. They also help to break down hard to digest nutrients, such as more complex types of carbohydrates, like fiber.

Key Takeaways:

• The way that a persons microbiota is formed is entirely determined by their own DNA.
• We are first exposed to microrganisms when we are an infant, even in our mother’s birth canal.
• One of the quickest things that is absorbed in our small intestine is both table sugar and lactose.

“scientists are still in the early stages of understanding the microbiome’s broad role in health”

Read more: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/microbiome/