What Is It?
The gut microbiome contains billions of bacteria, viruses, and other microscopic organisms that live inside the digestive tract. Focusing on the beneficial bacteria, they serve many functions1,2:
- Digest complex fibers
- Create essential vitamins (such as vitamin B and K)
- Produce short-chain fatty acids (acetate, butyrate, and propionate that feed the colon cells and aid in reducing inflammation)
- Protect against pathogenic (harmful) bacteria (support the intestinal mucosal barrier)
- Send chemical signals along the gut-brain axis (affect mood and stress)
These beneficial bacteria thrive in a diverse microbiome. Think of it as supermarkets that sell more than groceries (hardware, technology, house maintenance, supplies, etc) are busier and attract more customers than supermarkets that only sell food.
That's exactly how we need to feed ourselves - with a variety of foods.
References:
- Linares DM, Ross P, Stanton C. Beneficial microbes: The pharmacy in the gut. Bioengineered. 2016;7(1):11-20. doi:10.1080/21655979.2015.1126015
- Kumar S, Mukherjee R, Gaur P, Leal É, Lyu X, Ahmad S, Puri P, Chang C-M, Raj VS and Pandey RP. (2025) Unveiling roles of beneficial gut bacteria and optimal diets for health. Front. Microbiol. 16:1527755. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1527755