1. Your microbiome consists of about 100 trillion cells and weighs around 2 kilograms. If you put them all together they would form something about the size of a football.
2. Researchers estimate that up to a third of gut bacteria cannot or has not been named. And it’s estimated that gut flora has around a hundred times more genes than the human genome.
3. 70-80% of your immune system lives in your gut. It’s known as gut associated lymphoid tissue or ‘GALT’. About 80% of plasma cells also reside in this tissue.
4. There are four dominant bacterial types in the human gut. They are: Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria.
5. Also found in your gut are Lactobacillus and Escherichia as well as fungal organisms like candida, aspergillus, penicillium and sclerotinia – among other things!
6. 90% of the neurotransmitter serotonin is produced in the digestive tract. So, poor gut health can impair your mood and your sleep.
7. Your stomach is actually a very acidic environment, so most microorganisms prefer to live in your small and large intestine.
8. Your good gut bacteria (also known as probiotics) live on prebiotics or ‘resistant starch’, which is a particular type of fibre that your body can’t digest.
9. The breakdown of resistant starches produces a chemical called butyrate, a short chain fatty acid which is absorbed by your large intestine and encourages blood flow. Butyrate also helps your body detect and destroy damaged cells before they turn cancerous.
10. Microbiome literally translates to mini or extremely small natural occurring community. Many people credit American geneticist Joshua Lederberg with coining the term, however it’s been used since the 1800s.
11. Dr. Lederberg’s research informed the modern usage and definition of microbiome, which is ‘an ecological community of commensal, symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms that share our body space.’
12. Burps and flatulence are actually sign of good gut health. They’re caused by the gas produced when microbes ferment. The average adult produces between 0.5 – 1.5 litres of this gas per day.
13. Intermittent fasting is great for your gut health. Research shows that the cyclical feasting and fasting rhythms help contribute to the diversity of gut microflora. Several other studies have shown intermittent fasting also increases tolerance against ‘bad bugs’ and helps clear pathogenic bacteria more quickly.