With the progress of society and the improvement of scientific research technology, people are paying more attention to their own health. The term "quality of life" has begun to frequently appear in internet hotspots.
The level of quality of life directly depends on the level of health, which originates from the normal operation of every cell. In unseen places, these tiny cells are performing their respective functions, and behind them lies a crucial guardian - the gut microbiota.
In this science popularization column, we specially invite Professor Wenxin Dai, Director of the Elderly Medicine Multidisciplinary Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Hainan Chengmei Hospital and an expert in gut microbiota treatment, to introduce relevant knowledge of gut microbiota to everyone.
Gut microbiota affects birth, aging, illness, and death
There are 100 trillion microorganisms parasitic in the human gut, with over 4000 bacterial species in human body and a total of 3.3 million genes in the gut microbiota, which is 150 times the number of genes in the human body itself.
The gut microbiota is the most complex and diverse ecosystem in the human body, so the gut has a "superpower" that affects the bodys gut health, immunity, body fat level, three highs, sleep, skin condition, metabolism, and so on.
The "axis" is a complex system of bidirectional communication and mutual influence between the intestine and other organs. There are multiple "gut organ axes" in our body, and the gut microbiota is the protagonist, affecting multiple organs and systems through various microbial products.
These microorganisms affect our health and are crucial for the quality of human life. When they encounter problems, they can have various negative effects on the body, leading to various physical diseases.
Gut microbiota imbalance is the source of all diseases
Under normal physiological conditions, various bacteria in the intestine are combined and distributed in a certain proportion, and different bacterial species are mutually constrained, interdependent, and utilized, resulting in a dynamic balance between the quantity and activity of the gut microbiota.
When the internal and external environment of the human body changes, the balance between various gut microbiota is disrupted, resulting in changes in the quality and quantity of beneficial, harmful, and conditional pathogenic bacteria. This situation is called gut microbiota imbalance, and the corresponding clinical symptoms caused by gut microbiota imbalance are called gut microbiota disorder. The main clinical manifestations are diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, and even various diseases.
Therefore, maintaining a balance of gut microbiota is of great significance for improving quality of life.
The gut microbiota is generally divided into beneficial bacteria, neutral bacteria, and harmful bacteria. When we suspect that our bodys microbiota is out of balance, we can accurately detect the gut microbiota, evaluate the status of the microbiota, to help quickly identify the disease cause.
What can gut microbiota testing know?
The detection of gut microbiota provides an important way for us to understand the health status and individual differences of the gut by analyzing the composition and function of the gut microbiota.
01 Health Assessment
It can provide information about individual gut microbiota to help assess gut health status.
02 Digestive system diseases
It can detect microbial changes related to digestive system diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. By analyzing differences in microbial communities
03 Nutrition adjustment
It can help understand the individuals metabolic ability and digestion and absorption of different nutrients.
04 Immunoregulation
By detecting the composition of microbiota and metabolites, it is help to understand the interaction between gut microbiota and the immune system, which can help prevent and regulate immune related diseases.
05 Health Management
It can track changes in individual microbial communities and health status, take timely measures to maintain microbial balance.
Research has found that the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiota decreases with age. Up to 98% during infancy; Maintain around 40% during adolescence; Reduce to 10% during middle age; After the age of 60, only 5% or less remain. It is important to increase the number of probiotics in the intestine, maintain a balance of gut microbiota, and enable them to better protect human health and improve quality of life. Therefore, we should pay attention to the health status of the gut microbiota and take effective measures to maintain its balance.
Expert Introduction
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