While many amongst us are rightly concerned about conserving the ecosystem around us, scientists are waking up to a rich and diverse ecosystem within us that needs to be conserved and protected too.
In many ways we are less human than we think:
- We have 10 times more non-human cells than human cells
- Human genes are outnumbered 100 to 1 by microbial genes
It may be helpful to think of ourselves as a co-habitation of rich and diverse ecosystem. Scientists have a term for this: The Human Microbiome.
The microbes within us play a vital role in our health and well being:
- Regulate our metabolism and fat storage (and hence our weight)
- Fight off infections
- Regulate and train our immune system
- Signal our cells and regulate them
Scientists are now waking up to the importance of microbes in following diseases:
- Colon cancer
- Colitis (or inflammation of colon)
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Infections
These are early days in the research into the microbes within us. Most suspect that the list of conditions where microbes play an active role will only grow. In the meantime what can we do?
- Look into probiotics, the healthy microbes you can ingest. Sugar free yogurt is one example.
- Eat healthy food that is prebiotic, that is good for the microbes within: asparagus, burdock, chicory, dandelion root, Jerusalem artichoke, leeks and onions. Prebiotics are nondigestible or partially digestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon and thus promote better overall health.
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