What is the gut microbiome? The tiny town inside you

Your body is home to a whole hidden world. Living mostly in your large intestine are trillions of tiny microbes, bacteria along with yeasts and other organisms, known together as your gut microbiome. You can’t see them or feel them, but they’re working for you every moment of the day.

Picture a little town

I like to think of it as a charming little Swiss town. Cobblestone streets, every shop open and buzzing, each resident with a job to do, mountains and fields all around. That’s your gut microbiome: a busy, coordinated community that keeps essential parts of your body running.

These residents aren’t just passengers. They’re partners in your health. Among their many jobs, they:

Break down fiber your body can’t digest on its own, releasing energy and nutrients
Train and support your immune system, much of which lives in and around your gut
Make vitamins, including vitamin K and several B vitamins
Send messages to your brain that influence mood and focus
Help regulate hormones and the chemical messengers that keep your body in rhythm

When the town is in balance

When your inner town is thriving, your body can do what it was designed to do. Digestion runs smoothly, energy feels steadier, and your immune system has a strong ally.

When it falls out of balance, something researchers call dysbiosis, the effects can reach far beyond your stomach. Bloating, low energy, brain fog, cravings, irritability and restless sleep can all be signs that your town needs some care. Researchers are also learning how the microbiome connects to digestive, immune, skin and mental health.

A closer look at the science

By the numbers

38 trillion bacteria in your gut, about as many as your own cells
100× more genes than your own DNA
90% of your body’s serotonin is made in the gut

Your gut microbiome is one of the most complex ecosystems known to science. Scientists estimate it holds around 38 trillion bacteria, roughly as many as all the other cells in your body combined.¹ Together, they carry more than 100 times as many genes as your own DNA, which is why the microbiome is sometimes called your “second genome.”²

Much of their most important work happens when they ferment fiber from plants. That process creates short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate, acetate and propionate.³ These small compounds:

Nourish the cells that line your gut and help keep that barrier strong
Help balance your immune response
Play a role in metabolism and blood sugar control
Send signals to your brain, partly through the vagus nerve, along what scientists call the gut-brain axis

Your gut is also where about 90 percent of your body’s serotonin is made, and your microbes help shape that process.⁴

Consistency is the compounding interest of health.

You’re the mayor

Your microbiome begins forming at birth, and it has been shaped by everything since: how you were born, what you eat, stress, sleep, medications like antibiotics, and the world around you. The hopeful part is how responsive it is. Studies show the makeup of the gut microbiome can begin to shift within days of a change in diet.⁵

That makes you the mayor of your town, and your daily choices hold the keys. The residents you feed are the ones that flourish. A variety of plant foods, including vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds, gives your helpful microbes the fiber they love. Fermented foods, good sleep, movement, time outdoors and a calm mind all help too.

Mornings matter most of all. How you break your overnight fast sets the tone for the whole town. For a simple morning rhythm that supports your gut, read How to get your best results with LIVEDEN BALANCE.

Where BALANCE fits

After nearly three decades studying how the body comes into balance, I wanted one simple morning habit that would nourish the whole town at once. That’s why we created LIVEDEN BALANCE™.

Inside every scoop

ProbioSEB CSC3™, a spore-based probiotic blend with 3 billion CFU
Prebiotics to feed your helpful microbes
A complete plant protein from pea and spirulina
Whole-food supergreens, adaptogens, antioxidants, minerals and digestive enzymes

Together, they help your gut create its own postbiotics, the beneficial compounds your microbes make, and BALANCE supports healthy blood sugar levels so your morning starts steady.

Key takeaways

Your gut microbiome is a living community of trillions of microbes working on your behalf.
It touches digestion, immunity, metabolism, mood and more.
It responds quickly to your daily choices, so small habits make a real difference.

Remember, your daily habits mean everything. Consistency is the compounding interest of health.

With love, Heather

Body Balanced. Life Changed.™

Sources

Sender R, Fuchs S, Milo R. Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body. PLOS Biology. 2016;14(8):e1002533.
Qin J, et al. A human gut microbial gene catalogue established by metagenomic sequencing. Nature. 2010;464:59–65.
Koh A, et al. From dietary fiber to host physiology: short-chain fatty acids as key bacterial metabolites. Cell. 2016;165(6):1332–1345.
Yano JM, et al. Indigenous bacteria from the gut microbiota regulate host serotonin biosynthesis. Cell. 2015;161(2):264–276.
David LA, et al. Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome. Nature. 2014;505:559–563.