Unlocking the ‘gut microbiome’ – and its massive significance to our health

Scientists are only just discovering the enormous impact of our gut health – and how it could hold the key to everything from tackling obesity to overcoming anxiety and boosting immunity

 Gut microbes are tiny sensors of your general health

The number of studies that have found a link between a disease and a specific gut microbiome composition seems to be ever increasing. Until recently, though, almost all these studies have looked at single diseases in isolation. But most people tend to have more than one health complaint at a time – “comorbidities”, in medical parlance.

 How your belly could heal your brain

A century ago, a few isolated studies found a link between diet and mental health. Now, it’s emerging that the bacteria inside us could be a crucial link between the food we eat and how we feel.

 I tried a test from troubled poop-testing startup uBiome that let me peek inside a 'forgotten organ.' Here's what I learned.

Having experienced mild digestive issues for years, I was excited to learn more about how the bacteria in my gut were faring. Would I learn more about what was causing my occasional bloating, cramps, and indigestion? Or walk away from the test more confused than before?

 Study: Our Gut Bacteria May Be Dismantling The Pills We Take - What You Should Know

It seems so easy. You get a prescription filled, follow the directions on the bottle, and then just wait for the results. But as with many things we assumed before learning more about the bacterial universe in our guts, the story isn’t nearly so simple.

 The microbiome: How gut bacteria regulate our health

Research has shown that having a diverse microbiome – particularly your gut bacteria – has benefits not only for your digestive health, but many other organ systems, and even your brain. That has led to the idea that treatments targeting the microbiome may be able to improve our mental health.

 Why You Should Be Paying More Attention To Your Gut Microbiome

But, in reality, the microbiome is a nuanced ecosystem composed of millions of organisms—it affects not just our gut health, but also our noses, throats, urinary tracts, genitals, and skin, and entire digestive system. Having a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria in our bodies helps us modulate immunity, insulate us from toxins, better absorb foods, and fight disease. Instead of relying solely on a pill to strengthen your microbiome, we should seek to live a healthier lifestyle that fosters good gut bacteria. Here’s why probiotic supplements aren’t a fix-all...

Our bodies are mostly bacteria. A new book reveals this crucial, invisible world.

When Antony van Leeuwenhoek, the late 17th-century drape maker turned amateur scientist, first described microbes, people thought he was crazy. He focused his homemade microscopes on water from a pond outside his house, and on the dental plaque from his neighbors in Delft, the Netherlands. And he became the very first person to see a teeming world of life previously inaccessible to the human eye.

Does the Gut Microbiome Ever Fully Recover From Antibiotics?

Most gut bacteria recover quickly, but there can be long-lasting consequences from taking antibiotics.

Findings from the Gut—New Insights into the Human Microbiome

A preference for dark versus milk chocolate, among other things, shows up in the kinds of healthy germs found in the gut.

Gut feelings: the future of psychiatry may be inside your stomach

The right combination of stomach microbes could be crucial for a healthy mind.

How Disrupting Your Gut’s Rhythm Affects Your Health

New research sheds light on how eating and sleeping habits can contribute to disease by disrupting the bacteria in the digestive tract.

I Took an At-Home Poop Test

Who wouldn't want a snapshot of what's going on in their digestive system?

Innovations in the Microbiome

Revelations about microbes in the gut are shaking the foundations of medicine and nutrition.

Just Months of American Life Change the Microbiome

Immigrants’ gut bacteria “westernize” soon after they move to the U.S., which might influence obesity in immigrants and Americans alike.

The gut microbes of modern hunter-gatherers reveal one big problem with your diet

More fiber might mean more bacteria—and that's a good thing.

Drugs for your gut bugs are on the horizon

Those drugs in your cabinet? They’re designed to treat only half of you. The other half — the trillions of microbes throughout your body — haven’t historically interested drug makers. But as scientists learn more about the microbiome’s role in conditions ranging from allergies to anxiety to cancer, they’re increasingly interested in drugging its constituents.