By Theophila Lee This is the second of a three-part installment on the microbiome on the microbiome and mental health. For an introductory overview, see here , and for a discussion on the microbiome and maintaining skin health, see here. Have you ever had a gut feeling? Felt butterflies in your stomach when nervous? Gotten […]
Your skin, the largest organ in your body, is also characterized by its own diverse microbiome community. It is an epidermal lawyer that primarily functions as barrier to protect your body against impacts and pressure, temperature variations, harmful microorganisms, and damaging radiation and chemicals. Researchers estimate that there for every one square centimeter of skin, there are multiple trillions of bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and yeast present.
Imagine a collection of 100 trillion bacteria, yeast, viruses, fungi, and parasites of different strains and varieties living in diverse, ever- changing environments around your skin, mouth, and gut (although the majority reside in the gut). This is your microbiome, a dynamic community of microorganisms that outnumbers nine times the number of human cells. Through new scientific advances, researchers are beginning to better understand the microbiome’s composition and implications on human health.
1. In your words, who are you? I am a Mom, Sister, Friend, Wife and Registered Dietitian with a private practice called Real Nutrition based in NYC. I am a NYC “lifer” raising 3 kids downtown and am all about health, wellness and active living. I love cooking, walking, farmers markets, mom and pop health food stores […]
