“Gut health” and “gut microbiome” have become popular buzzwords in the wellness industry, but what exactly is our gut microbiome and why is it important? Our gut microbiome “weighs about 2kg and is bigger than the average human brain. It’s a bustling community of trillions of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses, containing at least 150 times more genes than the human genome.” The sciences began to turn their attention to the importance of the gut microbiome to general health around a decade and a half ago when we sequenced the human genome. Microbiome scientist James Kinross states that the gut microbiome is the biggest discovery during recent decades in human healthcare. While our personal microbiome comprises bacteria all over the body, the ones in the gut are the most significant to our wellbeing and have been found to impact immunity, appetite, and mental health. According to Professor Tim Spector at King’s College London, “It’s a vital organ in your body and you need to look after it. If you do that, it will look after you.” Because of his belief in the gut’s significant role in our overall health and longevity, Professor Spector created the ZOE app, which creates personalized diets based on an individual’s microbial needs. It is currently available in the US and is soon to be available in the UK.
Study cited: The Guardian