Zymolo Inc.

The GI Microbiome

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An ecosystem resides within us in our gastrointestinal (GI) tract.  It has an outer boundary defined by the cells of our intestine and a layer of mucus that protects these cells from the inner components of the ecosystem.  This ecosystem is complex: undigested and partially digested nutrients, microorganisms also called microbiota, important chemical molecules only produced by the microbiota, such as vitamin B12, and nonfood-derived chemical molecules that we ingest, such as drugs and potential allergens in foods and drinks.  The microbiome of an average adult can weigh at least 3 pounds.

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A healthy GI microbiome contains a vast diversity of living organisms. A loss in diversity in the GI microbiome is a common finding in many disease states.  Each species in the biome uses nutrients for energy in their own special way, and by that process generates unique molecules that may signal messages about appetite and the state of digestion to systems of our bodies. By our dietary choices we select nutrients that can be used by some species, providing them a competitive advantage over other GI microbiota. The less nutrition we provide to the ecosystem in the lower GI the harsher it is for some of the bacteria that would ordinarily be abundant.  If we eat primarily simple carbohydrates and too few fermentable complex carbohydrates and fibers, many species may wither away.  The better we nourish the lower GI with sufficient levels of needed nutrients the greater the diversity.  The diversity of diet matters also.  The more diverse the diet, the more diverse the microbiome and the more adaptable it will be to perturbations (1).