Our digestive system, or 'gut' as it is more commonly known, is a complex system comprising of tissues and organs all with a unique role to play in the digestion and absorption of our food. These include the stomach, pancreas, gall bladder, liver, and the small and large intestines.
Housed within the gut is also something known as the microbiome: a ‘community’ or ecosystem of microbes (microscopic organisms). These microbes, of which there are about 500 known species, are largely made up of bacteria. Each person carries around 10-100 trillion microbes within their body, mostly within the digestive tract, although the microbiome can be found in different parts of the body including the nose and mouth. There is emerging research to suggest that it may well influence your health as much as your inherited genes do.