Contents
- 1. Genetically, we are 99% microbes.
- 2. Our microbial “portrait” is unique
- Read more:
- 3. Childhood exposure to microbes helps build immunity
- Read more:
- 4. Children exposed to germs are better protected from allergies
- Read more:
- 5. Microbial diversity is important for health
- 6. Longevity may be related to the characteristics of the microbiome
- Read more:
- 7 Depression, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Autism Can Be Caused By Microbes
In the ordinary view, microbes are associated with disease and dirt. Meanwhile, the role of our microbiome (community of bacteria) is more complex than we used to think. Excerpts from microbiologist Rob Knight’s new book, Look What’s Inside You.
1. Genetically, we are 99% microbes.
“If you count by weight, then in the body of an adult [microbes] on average about one and a half kilograms. This makes our microbiota one of the largest organs, rivaling the brain in terms of weight and only slightly inferior to the liver. We already know that in terms of absolute cell count, microorganisms outperform humans by a ratio of ten to one. What if we compare our DNA? Each of us has approximately 20 human genes. And at the same time, we carry between two and 20 million microbial genes. This means, alas, that genetically we are at least 99% microbes.”
2. Our microbial “portrait” is unique
“The microbes that live on your left hand are different from those on your right. You can rub your hands, clap your hands, and touch the same surfaces with both hands – each still develops a separate microbial community. […] The microbial community on your hand is very different from similar communities of other people (in terms of species diversity – an average of 85%), which means that each of us, in addition to the usual ones, also has microbial fingerprints.”
Read more:
- Microbes help fight cancer
3. Childhood exposure to microbes helps build immunity
“People who were exposed to diverse microbial communities as children – through siblings, pets, farm life – tend to have healthier immune systems compared to city dwellers.”
“When our immune system is “idle” in childhood, not being attacked by bacteria and viruses that have co-evolved with humans for millions of years, then it then overreacts to the slightest stimuli. […] The modern hygiene hypothesis states that contact with non-pathogenic microbes in dirt and dust and contact with a wide variety of healthy people and animals can be a good preventive measure.”
Read more:
- Allergies – signals of the body and soul
4. Children exposed to germs are better protected from allergies
“Think of the immune system as a radio: if you tune in to a certain wave, you will hear an impeccably clear sound; but if you get between stations, then random signals create a loud and cutting noise. Similarly, the immune system, not detecting a signal, can “cling” to something else. And you’ll be lucky if the “noise” turns out to be pollen or peanut butter, which causes common allergies. But if you’re not lucky, the immune system can attack your own cells, causing diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or other autoimmune diseases.”
How to reduce the risk of allergies?
- Get a dog or cat
- Live in the village (or take the child to the dacha more often – A.S.), where the child will come into contact with straw and cows
- Avoid antibiotics in the first years of a child’s life
- Use Probiotics and Breastfeeding
Read more:
- Okinawan miracle of longevity
5. Microbial diversity is important for health
“Some general trends are gradually emerging that characterize the relationship between individual diseases and the microbiome. In particular, we have learned that low-diversity gut microbial communities are associated with obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.”
“I never get tired of repeating: strength is in (microbial) diversity. A person who always listens exclusively to the same musical genre or representatives of only one political party is not ready for a broad discussion about music or politics. So our body suffers defeat if it does not encounter a variety of microbes.
“The later stages of human life tend to be characterized by a greater diversity of gut microbial communities. At least this is true for healthy older people; reduced microbiome diversity is commonly associated with inpatients and worse health outcomes […] It is possible that centenarians have particularly healthy microbiomes that allow them to live to such an advanced age.”
Read more:
- How to lose weight without noticing
7 Depression, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Autism Can Be Caused By Microbes
“While research in this area is still in its early stages, there is promising evidence that changes in the microbiome, including in humans, can have a psychological effect. Many of us know from experience that dietary changes can affect mood. Since the microbiome changes when diet changes, it is very possible that there is a microbial component to this effect.”
“Today we already know that there is an inflammatory component to depression and many of the beneficial bacteria in the gut produce short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate, which help nourish the cells lining the gut to reduce inflammation.”
“Given the role that micro-organisms play in our body chemistry, we can assume that they also influence the formation of our mind. In this regard, autism is of particular interest. Some papers report that the gut microbiomes of children with autism syndrome are different from those of normal children (often siblings).”
For more information, see R. Knight “Look What’s Inside You” (AST, 2015).