Human Health.

Latest Update 24th April 2020.

As with healthy natural soil (which can still be found in old growth forests around the world), microbiomes are present in all animals including humans. The impact of the human gut microbiome alone has major impact on the functioning of our bodies and our health and wellbeing is dependent on it (as illustrated above: source Wikimedia Commons). We don't just have colonies of beneficial microorganisms in our gut, they are located all over our bodies including on our skin, and are said to weigh as much as our brains. Researchers have reported 3.3 million unique protein-encoding genes in our microbiome inhabitants as compared with the entire human genome, which has around 23,000 genes.

We do not have a complete microbiome before we are born, but in natural childbirth we acquire a basic one during our passage through our mothers birth canal. Later babies fed on mothers milk gain more beneficial microbes to strengthen their microbiome. Children born by caesarean section and fed on (mothers) milk substitutes, are at risk of having an impaired microbiome.

Our microbiomes are negatively impacted by poor food and some of the medications we use. Poor farming practices (see Our Soils for details) deliver food low in micronutrients and highly refined processed food removes essential components such as fibre and beneficial fats. Many modern medicines particularly those that are not selective when killing bacteria (e.g. antibiotics) have a devastating effect on our microbiome. An impaired microbiome reduces our capacity to build resistance to diseases, leading to long term health issues.

I grow organic food in my garden and only use homemade compost to feed my soil (I do not use synthetic fetilisers, pesticides or herbicides). It mimics the fantastically beautiful interactive design mother nature has developed over millions of years of evolution of soils and the living things that grow in and on it (scientists call it the soil foodweb). I do this to ensure the best health outcomes for my wife and myself.