What is a microbiome?
A microbiome consists of all the microorganisms that coexist around your body and in your intestines. These microorganisms can be good or bad, but they contribute to your body’s overall health and wellbeing. Each person has their own unique DNA that establishes a personalized microbiome for an individual. The issues produced by microbiota come when there are imbalances in the relationships between one’s body and the bacteria surrounding it. This can lead to increased susceptibility and weakened immunity.
The microbiome can assist the body in fighting off certain diseases and infections. Gut microbiota play an important role in establishing this protective relationship. The microbiome in the gut also helps the body digest some of the food intake. A bacterial infection known Clostridioides difficile affects the intestinal tract and leads to cases of severe diarrhea. This infection comes into play when the normal microbiome balance if off in the gastrointestinal tract. Experts have established a microbiota based therapy using fecal transplants. These help bring normal gut microbiota back into the patient dealing with C. diff to treat the infection.
A mature microbiome is acquired at age 3. It is known to develop starting from the descent of a baby through the mother’s birth canal. New research has been conducted showing that evidence of microbiota formation in the lungs could start during fetal development, even before the baby is introduced into the environment. Their research found the same microbiota formation in lungs of infants that had been born vaginally as well as through a Cesarean section. This new information leads scientists to believe that the microbiome could play an important role in lung formation as well as acquiring innate immune responses. This and other research regarding our microbiome can possibly lead to increasing our immunity to certain diseases.
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