The Microbiome – What is it? And what does kefir have to do with it?

[Guest guest]

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word

" bacteria " ? Probably strong sense disgust, followed by an urge to wash your

hands. Well I have news for you, most of the bacteria around us is harmless and

some are even beneficial to our well being.

Studies of the bacteria that make up our gut, also known as the human

" microbiome " , suggest that human have more bacteria than cells! In fact there

are 10 trillion (yes with a T) bacteria in our digestive system. You may ask why

Mother Nature would choose to make bacteria such a big part of our body. Well

the answer is symbiosis. Many of the bacteria in our body make compounds or use

compounds which our cells cannot produce. One example is vitamin K which is

crucial for normal blood clotting. But bacteria are another role which was not

appreciated until recently. As it turns out, bacteria which colonize our gut

prevent us from getting infected with harmful bacteria. It is a form of

competition for resource, or a number game. The more " good " bacteria we have in

our gut the less " bad " bacteria can move in and make us sick. Another function

bacteria fill is maintaining a healthy immune system. New studies suggest that

the type, rather number, of bacteria we have in our digestive system can delay

or even prevent autoimmune disease such as type 1 diabetes. This theory is also

known as the " hygiene theory " and was developed after researchers realized that

autoimmune diseases are less frequent in " dirty " environments.

So what does kefir and probiotic grains have to do with the hygiene theory?

Kefir grains are a unique combination of more than 20 different types of

bacteria (and some strains of yeast). Therefore, it should come as no surprise

that consuming kefir can change the bacteria composition in our gut and affect

our health. Information about the kefir and humans is limited, but studies in

animals do suggest some beneficial effects of kefir. Such effects range from a

improved gut health in mice to a decrease in cancerous tumors. One interesting

effect is the ability of kefir to reduce food allergies to milk and effect which

is also reported in humans. Similar effects were also observed in mice with

type 1 diabetes (or juvenile diabetes) which were protected from the disease.

Bacteria are an integral part of our lives. In fact, we cannot live without

them. They protect us from " bad " bacteria every day, provide us with essential

vitamins, and keep our immune system healthy. Kefir may improve these effects

because it is after all a whole lot of bacteria.

As always, I hope that this little assay is informative.

All the best,

Carol at www.probioticgrains.org