The answer is yes, there are trillions of microbial bacteria present in you stomach right now and it is referred to as the human microbiota. I know what you thinking you are “Did this man trillions of microbial bacteria?”, as the same person takes off running to go scrounging in their medicine cabinet looking for antibiotics. Don’t get you underwear in a wad, its a good thing.
OK, I know it’s scary to think that there are just trillions of microbial bacteria that are just sitting there in your stomach…. yeah that kind of made my stomach gurgle too. But, the microbial bacteria aren’t just chilling in our stomach they benefit the human body in several ways: 1) They help by stimulating the immune system, 2) Aid in digestion of food and produce vitamins like the B12 vitamin which enzymes to form this vitamin are only located in bacteria, and 3) Protection of the body from bad microbial bacteria growing in the stomach. Disruption of the microbiota through something as simple as diet or even through antibiotic treatment can lead to complications in health.
Your diet can affect the health of your microbiome, you can refer to this study of the link between diet and microbiome health here. The diversity of your microbiota literally depends on what you eat the more diverse food you eat the more different nutrients that the microbiota is exposed to allowing it to be exposed to more new kinds of microbial bacteria. Changing your diet changes what nutrients that the body is getting and subsequently helping the bacteria to protect your health. So what I am trying to say is all of these fitness “experts” are saying going on this diet or this diet, say heck to the no I have to eat my weekly pizza to make sure I am meeting my microbiota’s nutritional needs.
Taking antibiotics can completely affect the health of your microbiome since they are all bacterial microbes the antibiotics aren’t only killing the bacteria that are causing say a sinus infection but also are killing the good bacteria in your gut. Antibiotic treatment can lead to the arise of a disease called Clostridium Difficile. In the U.S., Clostridium Difficile is the cause of almost 30,000 deaths per year that leads to severe cases of diarrhea, which you can refer to this study between microbiome and Clostridium Difficile by following this link here. The arise of Clostridium Difficile can only take place when the body is on antibiotics because the good bacteria is killed allowing for C. Difficile to compete for nutrients without competition from the good bacteria leading to disease.
All I am saying is that the human microbiome is good, the microbiome aids in digestion, protects the body from pathogenic infection, and overall is happier (more effective) when on a proper diet.
Hope you all are living flu free and refer back to my last blog as flu season is rampant also remember if you get the flu you are still dead to me!!!
Matty Ice signing off. Peace!!
Matthew Smith's Blog 