The Microbiome: Your Body’s Secret Helpers

Krithika Prasad
May 24
2 min read

Today, in a very important group session conducted by a mentor who impacts my life for good and does everything to evolve me, spoke so much about microbiome.

So, thought i should document and share what i learnt about microbiome.

Did you know we are never alone? Tiny living things—like bacteria, viruses, and fungi—live all over our body. This group is called the microbiome. Most of them are not bad at all. In fact, many of them help you stay healthy.

What is the Microbiome?

The microbiome is a big family of tiny organisms living inside and outside your body—especially in your gut (stomach and intestines). They help you digest food, fight sickness, and even affect how you feel.

It’s like a small world inside you, working hard every day.

Why is the Microbiome Important?

Helps with Digestion: These tiny helpers break down food and make it easier for your body to use the nutrients.
Boosts Immunity: A healthy microbiome protects you from germs and helps your body fight diseases.
Affects Your Mood: Your gut and brain are connected. A happy gut can mean a happier mood.
Keeps Bad Germs Away: Good microbes stop the bad ones from growing too much.

Microbiome and Your Overall Health

Your microbiome is not just about the stomach. It also affects your emotional, physical, and mental health:

Emotional Health: A healthy gut makes chemicals like serotonin, which helps you feel calm and happy. When the gut is upset, it can make you feel anxious, stressed, or low.
Physical Health: A strong microbiome helps your body absorb nutrients, fight infections, and stay strong.
Mental Health: Scientists call the gut the “second brain.” Your thoughts, sleep, focus, and memory can all be linked to how healthy your gut is.

When the gut is happy, your mind and body feel better too.

What Happens When It’s Unbalanced?

If the good and bad microbes go out of balance (this is called dysbiosis), you may feel bloated, tired, moody, or fall sick more often. This can happen due to too much junk food, stress, lack of sleep, or overuse of antibiotics.

How to Keep Your Microbiome Healthy

Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains – they feed your good bacteria.
Drink Water – Water that has life in it - not just clean
Add fermented foods like curd, idli, dosa, and pickles – they have good bacteria (probiotics).
Avoid too much sugar and fried food – they feed bad bacteria.
Exercise regularly – movement keeps your gut happy.
Stay calm – stress can upset your gut.