THE ROLE OF THE MICROBIOME
The microbiome serves as a barrier function for toxins and potentially harmful materials. If our gut system were an assembly line, the function is proper sorting, vetting and delivery of only the appropriate goods to the proper destination. Harmful substances and organisms are filtered and denied access to the system. It also assists in eliminating unused portions of food and eliminate toxic waste products. The waste products assist in water balance and nourish our microbiome. Our microbiome is a community of microorganisms that help us in an array of metabolic functions. These communities deliver goods and affect an array of measurable metabolic functions such as blood sugar control. They also affect our metabolism of amino acids and our synthesis of vitamins. They regulate our immune function.
Several Functional of our Gut Microbiome to ponder:
- Communication with the Brain for signaling and coordination of various organ systems to run our human machine, It only makes sense that our food is part of that communication.
- Digestion and Absorption and Handling of Nutrients: Macronutrients - Protein, Fats and Carbohydrates, Micronutrients - Vitamins, Minerals, Cofactors, Phytonutrients. These are the activators, translators and conductors of our genes. These delivered foods load the apps to run our genes!
- Barrier Function for toxin and potentially harmful materials. If our gut system were an assembly line, the function is proper sorting, vetting and delivery of only the appropriate goods to the proper destination. Harmful substance and organism are filtered and denied access to the system.
- Elimination of unused portions of food and also waste products that may be toxic. The waste products assist in water balance and nourish our microbiome.
Our microbiome is community of microorganisms that help us in an array of metabolic functions. These communities deliver goods and affect an array of measurable metabolic functions such as blood sugar control. They affect our metabolism of amino acids and our synthesis of vitamins. They regulate our immune function.
I like to cite a scene from Downton Abbey that those familiar can relate to this. There is a scene where Thomas goes to interview at a “great house” only to find that there is simply the magnificent but vacant structure and an older man living in squalor. There is no life, no staff, merely an impressive, but lifeless stone house. The complex functions of the house at Downton, the maintenance and upkeep, the meal preparation and the groundskeeping, the community of people running the house is simply absent with out the staff. It is the multitude of servants and their roles and function in the maintenance of a great house that runs it efficiently and it is the staff that interacts with the community to procure the goods to continue to run the house. The staff of Downton Abbey keep the vital functions going and functioning seamlessly. Everyone has a variety of understood and coordinated roles. These players in these roles and the impressive efficiency and synchrony of the staff run the show. They are the ones that make it a great house and pull off the beautiful, seemingly effortless functions that take place daily. Our microbiome is our Mr. Carson, Mrs. Patmore, Mrs. Hughes and the rest of their staff. The cooks, the maids, the groundskeepers, the footmen etc... We have a symbiotic community that we need to treat well and recognize as vital and indispensable to the maintenance of our wellness!
“Only bacteria thrive and live well in a poorly cared for body.”