Gut Health vs. Microbiome: What’s the Difference?

What Is the Microbiome?

A person’s microbiome is made up of a large collection of microorganisms that live inside and outside of the body, commonly referred to as bacteria. In fact, a person’s body contains 10 times as many bacteria as cells.¹ While some bacteria can cause infections, good bacteria help the body function properly.

Bacteria on the outside of the body is beneficial in providing a physical barrier against foreign substances.² Inside the body, good bacteria play an important role in the immune system by helping to protect the body from infection.^{2, 3}

Within the gut specifically, these microorganisms help the body retrieve nutrients from food and help break down medications for proper absorption.^2, 4 Just as bacteria outside the body protect against foreign invaders, bacteria in the gut produce a layer of mucus that keeps unwanted substances—including harmful bacteria—from adhering to or damaging the walls of the large intestine.⁴ This beneficial blend of bacteria in your gut is known as your gut microbiome, and a healthy gut microbiome leads to good gut health.

Bacterial Diversity Is Key

There are nearly a thousand different species of good bacteria that live in your mouth, skin, airways, urinary tract, and, of course, your gut.¹ How do you acquire this bacteria? Babies are born with certain bacteria from their parents and, as they grow up, this bacteria increases and changes based on diet and lifestyle.¹

The key to a healthy microbiome is maintaining the delicate balance of different bacteria that work together to promote health throughout the body.^3, 5 Several factors—including age, diet, medicines, and travel—can impact the diversity of gut bacteria.^1, 5 Lower levels of bacteria diversity have been linked to various medical conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, and type II diabetes, so maintaining the right mix is important for overall health.⁵

How to Improve Gut Health

A good way you can improve the quality and diversity of gut bacteria is to eat a healthy diet, including lots of fruits, vegetables, and high-fiber foods.⁴ Incorporating prebiotics and probiotics into your diet is another way to improve gut health; prebiotics can be found in foods like bananas and artichokes while probiotics can be found in foods like yogurt or sauerkraut.⁶ You can also be add prebiotic fiber to your diet with a supplement like Benefiber.