The Microbiome and How It Affects Your Health

Sandy Cardy (CPA, CA, CFP)

The microbiome is defined as the microorganisms in a particular environment (including the body or a part of the body). We depend on a vast army of microbes to stay alive — a microbiome that protects us against germs, breaks down food to release energy, and produces vitamins.

Coined in 2001 by molecular biologist Joshua Lederberg, the term “microbiome” has begun to get attention just recently in reference to gastrointestinal or “gut” health. Besides our microbes’ essential functions such as digesting food and synthesizing vitamins, studies have linked the microbiome to gut health as well …read more