When thinking about the organs of our body, the first ones that probably come to mind are the heart, kidneys, or liver. But the microbiome? Is that an organ? Indeed, some scientists even refer to it as the super-organ or a super-organism. It is therefore a fixed and important part of our body.
Our microbiome consists of all the microorganisms that live in our gut, but also on other parts of the body, such as the skin, mouth, nose, and genitals. The numbers of our microbiome are impressive. The majority of all cells in the human body are bacteria! Viewed under a microscope, humans are more like a huge collection of tiny organisms than a bunch of human cells. The reason we still look like humans is that a human cell is many times larger than a bacterium. Nevertheless, the gut microbiome weighs about 1.5 kilograms.
The development of our microbiome begins already in the first days of life. The decisive factor here is the birth process, during which the baby comes into contact with the mother's vaginal mucosa and takes in the first bacteria. Over the course of life, we come into contact with various environmental influences, through which microorganisms find their way into our gut flora. Primarily, this happens through food.
Our lifestyle is therefore responsible for how the microbiome will develop. For example, the microbiome of a Mexican who eats spicy and corn-based food can be completely different from that of a person who mainly eats fish.
Similarly, the microbiome changes if a person moves, for example, from Germany to Africa because they are exposed to different environmental influences there.
What functions does the gut flora have?
The gut flora refers to the entirety of all microorganisms in the gut. When medicine first discovered microorganisms in the gut some time ago, their presence was mistakenly considered a disease. Attempts were made to combat them with colon cleanses and sometimes surgical procedures.
In the meantime, it is known that the gut flora is by no means harmful to humans but rather beneficial. For example, some food components cannot be fully utilized without gut bacteria. In addition, there are many other functions:
- They contribute to the function of our immune system.
- They prevent the spread of pathogens and the triggering of infections.
- They break down, for example, cancer-promoting substances.
- They contribute to the energy supply of the cells of the intestinal mucosa.
What can you do for your gut flora?
A crucial role is played by a healthy and balanced diet. A sensible part of the diet is to additionally consume probiotic foods. This is possible, for example, through dairy products like yogurt or kefir. But other fermented foods like kimchi or kombucha also contain the beneficial microorganisms. Since the number of probiotics in these products can be very low and not many people have these foods on their daily menu, it also makes sense to take probiotics in concentrated form, for example as capsules. It is also advisable to restore the gut flora with probiotics before, during, and after a longer course of antibiotics.
A particularly high dosage of bacterial cultures is found in our Dailybacs®. Each capsule contains a full 30 billion CFU, that is colony-forming units. These ensure that the gut bacteria grow and function optimally. In addition, Dailybacs® contain the important minerals and vitamins that the body needs daily. The Dailybacs® capsules are tailored to the individual needs of men and women.
