This microbial composition of your gut is highly influenced by varying factors that are particular to you such as diet, age, lifestyle, ethnicity, and general health, among others which together constitute your wellness. Right from birth there is an onset of colonization of your digestive tract by microorganisms. These microorganisms are from the mother's vagina, feces, skin, and breast milk among other things.
The microbiota that enters and evolves in the infant's gut has a lot to do with the feeding regime an infant receives. Generally, breastfeeding transfers more microbiota when compared to infant formula feeding, especially in the early days possibly weeks of life.
What you get at the beginning in the gastrointestinal tract of an infant are the facultative anaerobic bacteria, which include enterobacteria, staphylococci, and streptococci. As the infant goes on with the developmental stage, the quantity of oxygen available in gut depreciates and this will lead to the emergence of strictly anaerobic bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides, which will then become established in the intestine and hence, outnumber facultative anaerobes.
Approximately 80% of our immune cells exist in the gut, and supporting our gut health directly impacts our ability to fight off infections and stave off illness. There are 30-50 trillion microorganisms in our gut, while the human body is made up of 37 million human cells! When we think of a rich ecosystem with different species of plants and animals, we think of the Amazon rainforest. But the Amazon pales in comparison to your gut microbiota, which is far more diverse.
For example, your weight is more than just calories in and calories out, and some individuals have bacteria in their gut that helps them adapt and survive intense activity environments by converting calories more slowly, thus gaining weight. What works for one person may not work for another, and not all healthy foods are universally healthy (meaning kale may not be good for everyone after all).
You are an unique individual because of the particular set of microorganisms (microbiota) in your gut, and your gut is the most abundant in bacterial density that reaches hundreds of billion cells/g in the distal human colon. Scientists have discovered that the most active vital organ in the body based on its work in the area of detoxification is the liver, and interestingly, our gut is similar in size to the liver. The number of bacteria in your gut may outnumber the somatic cells in your body by an order of magnitude.
Yes, you are particularly different from any individual as a result of your microbiota in your gut, however, there are four dominant phyla made up of Firmicutes (which contains lactobacilli), Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria (which contains bifidobacteria), and Proteobacteria, that are common to everybody.
The total number of bacterial species inhabiting your gut when you are healthy has been estimated to exceed 1,000, and out of these, you share at least 160 species with other people. They are responsible for your improved digestion for you to live free of bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation.
Antibiotics' Impact on the Gut
Antibiotics are essential to fighting many illnesses, but they can also wipe out the beneficial bacteria in your gut, as was the experience of Richard Lin, CEO, and co-founder of Thryve. "After taking antibiotics for a common cold that eliminated all of the diverse bacteria in my gut, I was hospitalized for a major gut infection. For months afterwards, I had lost control of my health and that's when I knew something had to change. I ended up finding a solution with the right probiotics and diet."
Even after his deep exploration into the topic of gut health to find the best treatment for his gut infection, Richard was left with more questions than answers and knew there was a need for education on this topic, and personalized, realistic offerings to help others take control of their digestive wellness. Since 2016 Thryve has done just that - offered personalized probiotics and diet recommendations unique to you, based on your gut microbiome samples. After sequencing your sample, they leverage artificial intelligence to analyze your gut microbiome to provide personalized recommendations.
