Don’t freak out, but all of us contain millions of bacteria both on the inside and the outside. And scientists tell us that that’s a good thing, especially the bacteria in our innards, you know our guts. The health-trend word for all the bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other stuff hanging out in our bodies is microbiome, and for most us it’s what’s keeping us healthy. But when that microbiome starts to break down we can become sick, sometimes deathly so.
WebMD tells us that “ongoing research reveals that people with certain diseases often have a very different mix of bacteria in their intestines compared to healthier people. Researchers are working to define the makeup of gut bacteria in a healthy person vs. the gut bacteria that can point to higher risk or presence of certain diseases.”
“Some scientists believe analysis of your microbiome will one day be as common as routine blood tests. Doctors could discuss the results with you and the long-term management of your gut bacteria. Current research could one day lead to customized probiotics that would offset whatever disease-promoting microbiome you might harbor.”
