Our Second Genome

Our second genome?! Wow. Have you thought about it that way before?

The human microbiome is a fascinating area of research. 

The human body is colonized by a vast array of microbes not just in the gastrointestinal tract, but on the skin, in the mouth, the vagina, and airway. The largest population is found in the colon, and the second largest on the skin. 

And these invisible armies can either be extremely helpful to our health or extremely harmful.

Let's take a peek at this study published in December 2020 called "Skin and the Gut Microbiome in Psoriasis: Gaining Insight into the Pathophysiology of it and finding novel therapeutic strategies".

There has been a lot of evidence found to show that both the skin and the gut microbiota play a role in the immune response. In addition, an association can be seen between psoriatic attacks and microbiome alterations (particularly growth of opportunistic pathogens). In fact, psoriasis can be provoked by known certain bacteria, viruses, or fungi. 

What has been observed in cases of psoriasis is that common skin species are low, and opportunistic skin species are high, and and altered immune response is present. 

As we say in naturopathic medicine, "the germ is nothing, the terrain is everything." 

Our microbiome is so significant!! If there's a chance yours is out of balance, let your ND help you out with this - this is our jam! 

Chen, L., Li, J., Zhu, W., Kuang, Y., Liu, T., Zhang, W., Chen, X., & Peng, C. (2020). Skin and Gut Microbiome in Psoriasis: Gaining Insight Into the Pathophysiology of It and Finding Novel Therapeutic Strategies. Frontiers in microbiology, 11, 589726. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.589726