The emergence of the Microbiome’s importance has been a boon to patient health and maybe a nail in the coffin of the overuse of antibiotics.
Many researchers have studied the kinds of microbial creatures that reside in humans and they vary extensively based on region. Further research has demonstrated that the more diverse the microbiome the healthier the population.
So it’s important to have lots of different kinds of bugs in our gut and else where in our system to keep us healthy. What? We need bacteria, fungi and viruses to be healthy? Yup. And we need lots of different kinds.
But the diversity of the microbiome is dwindling. Why you say? Well they way we raise our food and ourselves. Indiscriminately killing with antibiotics and pesticides has caused a world-wide reduction in microbiome diversity.
We add antibiotics to animal food as a precaution-bad; we constantly use antibiotics for our kids and ourselves for every little sniffle-unnecessary; over spraying pesticides and the list could go on and on.
Is it any wonder that all disease rates are increasing and un-treatable infections abound? Our microbiome helps our bodies in so many ways too numerous to list here but suffice it to say if we had no microbiome there would be no us.
We need to restore our microbiome on our planet and in our bodies. How? Eat organic, grass-finished, free-range, stop using antimicrobial soaps, use more natural everything. Eat fermented foods (sauerkraut, kombucha etc), get more Sunlight (yes sun exposure improves the diversity and health of your microbiome) and use a probiotic supplement.
If you choose the later then make sure you use a variety of strains including spore forming bacteria. (Ask your friendly naturopathic doctor for recommendations on your next visit)