World Microbiome Day is celebrated on June 27/23. The microbiome is a community of microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, and viruses etc. ) that exist in a particular environment.
The bacteria in our body are essential for life. We depend on them to help digest our food, regulate immunity, and keep us healthy. To date, only a small percentage of human microbial bacteria have been identified, and limited number have been studied.
There is extensive variation in microbiome composition from person to person is diverse, so consider it your ‘personalized’ microbiome. Research is ongoing on how our cells react with the microbial community, how diet can influence our microbial flora, how our microbiome is influenced by antibiotic agents, and how it can be altered to improve health.
The theme this year? “Microbes and Food’. The adage ‘we are what we eat’ process begins early in life, and there is a body of scientific evidence to support it. Our diet can impact the structure of bacterial communities in human colonic mucosa and this can lead to modifications of immunity, inflammation and risk of diseases.
The human gut microbiome influences nutrient update, vitamin synthesis, energy harvest, inflammation, the metabolism of carcinogens, and the body’s immune response. A better understanding of microbial diversity can lead to novel therapies. For example, we could treat a bacterial infection by promoting the growth of ‘good’ bacteria, and microbiome transplants are already being used for certain illnesses.
According to World Microbiome Day experts, ‘microbiomes are actively contributing to clean environments, sustaining food systems, mitigating climate change and keeping people healthy.’
They definitely deserve a day of their own.
References
Tilg H and Moschen AR (2015) Food, Immunity, and the Microbiome. Gastroenterology 148(6):1107-1119
World Microbiome Day website: https://worldmicrobiomeday.com/
World Microbome Day blog: https://worldmicrobiomeday.com/blog