The gut microbiota is the population of trillions of microorganisms that live in the gut, particularly at the lower end, the large intestine, where faeces are formed. For a long time, researchers’ focus was to identify microorganisms that trigger diseases (pathogens) and the best way to destroy them with antibiotics.
With increasing knowledge about the gut microbiota it became clear that there are good bacteria that are beneficial for the human host. In particular the bacterial groups Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are known to support health in many ways. It is also becoming clear, that the microbiota ecosystem interacts with the human body.
The gut microbiota produces metabolites and break down products within their ecosystem inside the gut. These products are of bacterial origin and influence the gut environment, and may even cross the gut barrier, reaching the blood circulation and therefore other organs like the brain, kidney, muscles, lung etc. The complexity is evident and its relationship to health and wellbeing is crucial.
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