Part 2- Functions of the gut microbiome
Continuing from yesterday, this is Part 2 of my friends short series on the microbiome. Today - what are the key functions of the microbiome?
I mean, we’re carrying these literally trillions of “little passengers” around on our bodies with us all day every day - it’s good to know why!! They ought to be “paying their bus fare” one way or another!
Read on in today’s short easy read…
Our microbes:
Help us digest our food.
Protect our gut lining cells from pathogens and toxins.
Help teach and mature our immune system to function properly.
Make B vitamins, Vitamin K and amino acids (proteins).
Break down, by fermentation, non-digestible dietary fibre that we eat.
Regulate our metabolism (how much energy we get from food) and help to regulate our weight and how much body fat we store.
Make waste products called short chain fatty acids (SCFA’s) that provide food for our gut lining cells. These are important communication molecules.
Influence sleep, mood and brain function.
Regulate the repair and growth of our body’s cells.
Are key to our health and disease.
Coming up tomorrow in Part 3, we’ll take a look at your microbiome and how it forms a crucial, and major, part of your immune system. Few people realise how important our gut is when it comes to…
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