Scientists estimate that at any given time there are 5-6 nonillions (thats 30 zeros) of bacteria on the earth. They live everywhere – in the soil, in the air and in and on every living thing. Humans have interacted with bacteria since we emerged as a species and we have truly become “life partners”. We rely on the bacteria that live on our skin, in our mouths and in our gut for many functions that are vital to our existence and we provide them with the food and environment that they need to flourish. The bacteria that live in our gut (our microbiome) are particularly important because they perform digestive functions fight diseases and produce compounds that are vital to our physical and mental well being. They also produce a wide range of short chain fatty acids that become the building blocks for tissues and enzymes that are critical to our physical and mental health.
Unfortunately, our evolution to a “modern lifestyle” with processed foods, sanitized environments and very little dietary fiber and fresh produce has literally starved our microbiomes. Because our gut bacteria survive on the dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates that our primary digestive system cannot process, the change in our diets has literally pushed them to starvation. They have responded by feeding on the only other source of complex carbohydrates that they have available – the mucous lining of our gut wall.
That gut lining is a unique organ because it prevents the movement of bacteria while allowing the short chain fatty acids that the bacteria produce to migrate through to our body. When the bacteria attack the gut lining it is no longer able to function as an effective barrier and bacteria begin to make their way into our bodies. The appearance of these bacteria initially results in an inflammation response as our immune system attacks the bacteria but the longer term response can be even worse because the DNA of those bacteria is incorporated in almost every vital organ in our body.
Almost every physical and mental ailment that has surged since the advent of our “modern lifestyle” can be traced back to our body’s reaction to this inflammation and the immune attack on tissue containing bacterial DNA . Heart disease, cancer, arthritis, Alzheimers syndrome, Chron’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and even autism is just a short list of the conditions that trace their origins to weakened micro biomes and compromised gut linings that force our immune systems to treat invading bacteria that were intended to be synergistic neighbors as enemies that need to be destroyed.
Extensive field studies and experimental laboratory evidence make a compelling enough case that I am convinced that it is important for me to act now to restore the health and diversity of my microbiome and protect the integrity of my gut lining. As a first step I have read all of the literature and scientific studies that I can in an effort to understand how the microbiome works and what I can do to make it work better.
This blog is an effort to collect what I have learned and some of the conclusions that I have drawn into an understandable package that I can share and discuss with friends. As I learn more and gain experience from some of the changes I have made in my own lifestyle I will update the appropriate sections of the blog.