Did you know that couples have more similar microbiomes than siblings?? After months and even years in a close relationship, people start to share microbiomes. Physical intimacy plus sharing food, utensils, water glasses, sinks, and showers lead to more diverse, robust microbiome exposure. In fact, studies show that married individuals have more microbial diversity and richness than people who living alone.
The Microbiome is somewhat of a buzz word these days. What is it actually? The microbiome is a combination of bacteria, protozoa, viruses and yeast, in, on, and around us. The microbiome is much more than just gut flora- it's also present on our skin, inside our noses, even on the bottom of our feet. In fact, 3 to 5 pounds of our body weight is the microbiome!
We are constantly surrounded by microbes that we can't see with the naked eye, whether on the surfaces around us or in the plants and ecosystems nearby.
We'll be talking all about how to create a healthy, diverse microbiome in the upcoming Gut-Brain Connection course. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the email list to get $50 off for the month of November. The course officially launches on November 1st!
Why Do We Care?
Here's an example of how a whole ecosystem can be affected by a change in just 1 organism. In the 1920's, the government allowed the extermination of gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park. This action triggered an ecosystem collapse known as a trophic cascade. Removing this one species caused a domino effect that resulted in the change of the flow of water in the park. Then in 1995 through the Endangered Species Act the gray wolf was reintroduced to restore balance to the ecosystem.This proves that if we change a single element in the microbiome, it will impact our entire system.
We are noticing that as we become more industrialized, the diversity and strength of our microbiome is slowly declining and we're also seeing a rise in modern diseases. We are seeing an increase in obesity, food allergies, asthma, diabetes, and even cognitive disorders. What if this is due to the microbiome?
The microbiome is vital to our health, and once we lose it or decrease its diversity, it becomes very difficult to restore. We can increase the number of existing microbial species, but without other measures in place, we cannot get back what has been lost.
Therefore, maintaining a healthy microbiome is crucial. Can't wait for you to join the online course next week! Take a sneak peak.