The Human Microbiome & Diversity

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Our body is a rich ecosystem that is inhabited by thousands of different microbial species which have co-evolved with humans over hundreds of millennia. This microbial community has a fundamental role in human health and well-being, helping us digest our food, strengthen our immune system, and protect us against pathogens.

 

However, over the past century, and particularly the last 50 or 60 years, people around the world have become increasingly urbanized, leaving farms for cities and along the way, losing exposure to the important beneficial microbes in our plants and soil. As a result, for nearly everyone, the microbiome has loss bacterial diversity, and we see the result in an increase in metabolic diseases, immune diseases, allergies and food intolerances.

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We need to get back on track and increase overall gut microbial richness. Probiotics currently available don’t do this: they typically contain only a few strains, and we aren’t always certain they survive to reach our digestive tract at all. In addition, 75% of the probiotics market is animal dairy based – while dairy consumption is something that increasing numbers of people want to reduce or eliminate.