22/03/2026
What is the microbiome?
Your microbiome is the community of trillions of tiny organisms, mostly bacteria, that live in your gut.
Think of it as a mini ecosystem inside your digestive system.
Just like a garden, it contains:
Helpful bacteria
Neutral bacteria
Opportunistic bacteria
When the balance is right, your gut
"garden" thrives.
When it's out of balance, symptoms can show up.
What Does the Microbiome Do?
Your gut microbes help to:
Break down fibre and produce nutrients
Make short-chain fatty acids that heal the gut lining
Support your immune system (around
70% lives in the gut)
Regulate inflammation
Influence mood and brain health
Support hormone balance
Protect against harmful bacteria.
It's not just digestion, it's whole body health.
What Disrupts the Microbiome?
Highly processed foods
Chronic stress
Lack of fibre
Frequent antibiotics
Poor sleep
Inflammation
Over time, this can contribute to bloating, IBS-type symptoms, skin issues, fatigue, immune dysregulation, and even mast cell activation tendencies.
