What is the gut microbiome?
The two terms “microbiota” and “microbiome” are often used interchangeably to mean the same thing.
The subtle difference between these two terms can be distinguished as follows. The microbiota describes the entire microbial community that inhabits the human body. This community comprises of bacteria, viruses and fungi. The biggest populations of microbe reside in our gut, and this is also known as the gut microbiota.
Microbiome is the term used to described the total collection of all the genes and genetic material that microbes contribute to the human body. Currently, there is a huge interest in finding out how the body's microbial populations and their genetics are linked to health and disease.
How does the Gut Microbiome affect our health?
The microbiota and their genetic material, known as the microbiome, live in the human body and are necessary for normal health. An imbalanced gut microbiome can negatively influence the following four broad areas of importance to our well-being: nutrition, immunity, brain function and disease.