WE ALL KNOW the effect our emotions can have on our gut. The way an interview or stressful meeting, a family row or even change in surroundings can influence what goes on in our bowels. But our digestive system plays a greater role in maintaining our general wellbeing than we give it credit for.
On average, the gut is home to more than 1,000 types of some 100 trillion microbes or bacteria. This colony of bacteria is known as the microbiome. It isn’t harmful. Quite the opposite, actually: its existence is vital to our overall health.