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The Gastrointestinal Microbiome
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We live in a sea of bacteria. This is very good as most bacteria are our friends. They live on every surface in our environment, including our skin. In particular, they are valuable inhabitants of the mouth, vagina and the entire intestinal tract. In particular, the bacteria in the colon or large bowel are an extraordinary collection with over 1,000 species and trillion upon trillion of numbers.
These bacterial friends do many things for us. For the most part, they prevent other nasty disease causing bacteria from finding a suitable home. But quite amazingly, our research scientists have found that the huge cauldron of bacteria in our colon provide many health benefits to the body. You may check this out in more detail in Prebiotics and A Wonderful Colon.
Which brings us to the microbiome. You may be aware that the genetic code of humans has just been broken. This means that the approximately 30,000 genes that are in the 48 strip-like chromosomes in each of our cells have been defined. This was a remarkable achievement and already this information is being used in many beneficial ways for us humans. This is known as the Human Microbiome.
But the GI microbiome of the gut's bacteria is another matter. Why would scientists want to know what the genetic makeup of this bacteria factory is in the colon? The answer to this question is now becoming apparent. Scientists project that there may be over 3 million genes within this bacteria pool. This is a staggering number and has many health implications. These bacteria have lived in our colons for eons. We have slowly come to find that this is a good deal for both humans and these bacteria. We provide a nice warm home for them and they provide health benefits for us. It is truly mutually beneficial.
But, there is more to the story than this. There are many disorders of the body including disease of the colon itself such as colitis, Crohn's disease, cancer, polyps and irritable bowel syndrome. There are many other disorders outside the colon that we are beginning to tie into the colon bacterial pool. For instance, when newborn infants grow with the right collection of bacteria in the colon, they seem to have less allergies and asthma later in life. Many autoimmune disorders, likewise, may be involved in some way with a dysfunction of the colon's bacteria and its effect on the immune system. The suspected list goes on and on.
The first step in unraveling this mystery is to analyze the genetic makeup of these bacteria - the gastrointestinal microbiome. It is really clever how this is done. A small sample of stool is diluted with certain fluids. Then the live bacteria are treated so that the wall of the bacteria cell dissolves and the genetic material, the DNA of the bacteria, floats free. A sample, as small as a thimbleful, is then analyzed using incredibly sophisticated probes, the same type used to analyze human DNA. There is speculation that some of our human genes may be found in some of these bacteria and vice versa. This would be delicious food for thought.
In three short years and with $3 million from NIH funding, we should have some incredible answers to all these questions. We now know that we and our bacterial friends have never been adversaries. We have always been friends. My suspicion is that when this data is fully analyzed, we will be overwhelmed at how many health benefit these lovable little guys in our colon provide for us. Knowledgeable scientists anticipate some dramatic new understanding of many diseases as well as potential treatment for them. Stay tuned!
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Click here to check out our prebiotic powder, Prebiotin™
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