Resolutions to improve health typically include measures such as more exercise, a healthier diet and stopping smoking. But what about safeguarding your gut microbiome?
Taking steps to protect and improve it can benefit digestive health and more, says Dr Purna Kashyap, a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, in the US state of Minnesota, who specialises in the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal disorders.
“The microbiome is essentially a community of bacteria, fungi, viruses and all of their genes,” Kashyap explains. “The skin, lungs and reproductive system each have their own microbiomes. The gut microbiome is probably the most diverse in our body. Its microbes perform several functions. The body’s other microbiomes tend to be more specialised.”
Your gut microbiome is as unique as your fingerprint. Its bacteria perform important jobs, including breaking down fibre and starches, synthesising vitamins and amino acids such as vitamins B and K, and producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) that help prevent disease.
Taking steps to protect and improve the gut microbiome can benefit digestive health and more, says Dr Purna Kashyap, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic. Photo: Mayo Clinic
They also maintain the intestinal barrier, a protective gut lining.