Chronic Health Conditions and the MICROBIOME
Samantha Coulson explains.
The term ‘microbiota’ refers to the microbial cells themselves (bacteria, archaea, fungi/yeasts and viruses), whereas the term ‘microbiome’ relates more to how these cells function and their genetic/metabolic capabilities.
To understand the significance of the gut microbiome and its role in health and disease, it is necessary to understand what the structure and function of the gut microbiome was before it was thought to be altered by modernisation. Questions have been raised as to whether the ‘modern’ human body is still in a mutualistic relationship with the microbiome, or whether the diseases of civilisation are indicating that the gut microbiome is out of ecological balance, representing the ‘new normal’ which is allowing for a different predisposition to chronic health conditions. The question therefore becomes, what is a healthy gut microbiome?
The importance of the human microbiome and its interaction with human biology to influence health
