Microbiomania! Oh sweet and gullible America, an apple-a-day keeps the doctor away! Eggs have too much cholesterol; avocados have belly-burning fats; chocolate is chalked full of antioxidants; coconut oil simply cures all ailments; and, don’t get me started on raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (Bragg’s**)! Well, buckle up ladies and gentlemen, the hottest new craze is here: the microbiome! Today, you can’t help but to come across the headline, “new scientific study shows/proves…” when surfing the web or listening to the news. Science is slowly becoming America’s new g(G)od so it makes sense to use it for sales or hype. Anyway I’m here not to talk about misguided beliefs and overly complicated ….; instead, I want to look at the microbiome, discuss briefly the claims and some studies being done.
First, a short description of this tiny world. According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, the individual is more a vessel for microbes than it is construction of genome-encoded human cells. There are far more microbial cells in the human body than there are human cells. Perhaps this comes as a surprise; yet in studying evolution and ecology, it is clear that many environmental niches exist internally and externally in and on the human body. Throughout the planet, environmental niches, as a rule, will be filled with life. There may be a few exceptions, but we even find life in seemingly inhospitable places, in hot, cold, salty, acidic, toxic, you name it, places. Therefore, it is reasonable that a place of both organic and inorganic materials, moderate temperatures, and a variety of pH levels, would thrive with life!
Following this train of thought, the discovery of how codependent these organisms have become, to the extent that one may not live without the other, should come with a: “oh, of course! That makes sense!”. The Harvard School of Public Health informs us that certain vitamins and amino acids are synthesized by the microbiome. In addition, the human metabolic system is unable to digest certain foodstuffs, yet the microbiome can and does, with some of the byproducts further serving our health and functionality. Even their mere presence creates competition that works to defend the system against potentially pathogenic microbes.
One study investigating the composition of the microbiome during pregnancy and lactation, and the effects of commonly used (during pregnancy) anti-depressants on the microbiome, shows an important byproduct of microbes, tryptophan, used in the synthesis of serotonin. Serotonin, 95% of which is found in the GI tract, is an important neurotransmitter in human physiology and low concentrations of it have been linked to depressive disorders. They showed, using mice as a model, that serotonin levels are disrupted by abnormal microbe communities. It was also shown that anti-depressants, such as fluoxetine, disrupt the microbiome. The implications of this are important to consider. Infants are immunocomprimised in part due to an immature microbiome. Though environmental exposure has a part, the microbes acquired by the infant’s journey through the vagina and by breast milk, have a crucial role in its establishment. If the mother’s microbial community is compromised, it may directly affect not only the newborn’s microbiome but consequently its ability to ward off disease causing microbes.
The significance of the microbiome on human health, and its potential use in the medical world are apparent. What becomes difficult in these early days of research, is the extent of our ability to manipulate it and in an informed way. For instance, an investigative study of oral probiotic supplements’ effects on vaginal microbiota, returned inconclusive results. In comparision to a negative control, post-probiotic vaginal microbiomes remained similar to the control and baseline. It is possible the normal microbiome is resistant to manipulations, or, that given orally these probiotics are inneffective. It is important to realize that there are many facets of the microbiome that have yet to find a consensus among researchers.
All this to say, beware! Follow basic guidelines to a healthy life, diverse diet (excluding garbage), exercise, laugh, and sleep well. Certainly the investigations of the human microbiome will yield some insights but be patient! If I could suggest one thing, it’d be to keep a sample, from a healthy donor, of fecal matter just in case you are colonized by Clostridium difficile. Fecal transplants have been shown to be 80-90% effective against C. difficile infections. And, it’s easy! Just like pooping but in reverse!
BillyBiome 