A Diverse Balancing Act

The human gastrointestinal tract is an important part of the frontline of defense for the body’s health. Our immune system is in constant communication with the microorganisms that live in our gut. In fact, about two-thirds of the human immune system is concentrated in and around the gut for this purpose.

One reason is that there is a communication highway from the gut to the brain. This has been described as the Microbiome-Gut-Brain axis. Its existence demonstrates that the effects of what happens in the gut extends beyond the immune system.!

The GI Tract: The Body’s
Frontline of Defense

It’s helpful to think of the human body as a forest ecosystem. Intestinal health is strengthened by the variety, composition, and balance of all of those microorganisms. Diversity helps promote a more robust ecosystem that can better respond to the undesirable changes in the gut. It is the collective strength of the forest and the interaction of the diverse species living within it which provide protection for the forest.

Like the ecosystem of the forest, the human gastrointestinal tract functions more optimally when there’s balance between its diverse elements. When bacteria and other microorganisms that reside in our gastrointestinal tract fall out of balance, the rest of the human body suffers.