◎ The human microbiome is the collection of trillions of microbes living in and on the human body. It consists of the different bacterial, fungal, and viral species that reside in the mouth, gut and on the skin (we acquire our first bacteria while being born, and every day after, our environment exposes us to more). This may sound like a lot, but less than one percent of all microbes are known to cause disease in humans and the majority of germs that call the body home are harmless.
The bacteria that live in our intestines (known as gut flora) help break down food into nutrients that we can digest. They also produce vitamins that our bodies can’t synthesise on our own, including vitamins K (which helps blood clot properly) and B12 (involved in protein metabolism). The presence of a large amount of good bacteria in a healthy gut also helps suppress the growth of bad bacteria.
Although the majority of our bodies’ bacteria resides in our intestines, our skin also bears a multitude of microbes. Our skin flora is vital to regulating inflammation, a process that helps us heal.
◎ Probiotics are edible collections of live bacteria and yeasts that help maintain the natural flora of our gut. For example, when we take antibiotics, we may lose some "good" bacteria in addition to the "bad" targeted by the antibiotic. Probiotics help replenish the good bacteria that was lost.