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Most people have heard of the gut microbiome, but the lungs, skin, mouth and genitals all have their own unique microbiome.
A lot has been written and said about the gut microbiome – the community of bacteria, viruses, fungi and archaea that lives in our intestines. But the gut is not the only place that has a microbiome. The mouth, nose, skin, lungs and genitals have microbiomes of their own. And they all play an important role in our health.
Here is a brief introduction to each one.
Oral microbiome
Arguably, this was the first microbiome discovered.
In the late 1600s, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch scientist, scraped the inside of his mouth and examined the contents under a microscope. There he found “many very little living animalcules, very prettily a-moving”. Today, we know that there are more than just “animalcules”, as Van Leeuwenhoek called bacteria, but fungi and viruses too.
This collection of microbes, among other things, aids digestionby breaking down complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars so that the gut can more easily absorb them.
As with all microbiomes, the oral microbiome competes with harmful bacteria for resources and space. When the balance of microorganisms in the mouth is disrupted, it can lead to cavities, gum disease and infections.
Good oral hygiene and a healthy diet can ensure that good microbes prevail.
Nasal microbiome
Moving north, we find the nasal microbiome, which helps to filter and trap particles from the air we breathe.
While the nasal microbiome has over a hundred strains of bacteria, only two to ten species make up 90% of the microbiome.
These bacteria have a symbiotic relationship – you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. However, imbalances in the nasal microbiome can occur as a result of environmental exposures (such as air pollution), genetics or problems with our immune system. These imbalances have been linked to conditions such as chronic sinusitis, nasal allergies and a higher risk of respiratory infections.
A small study from Portugal found that wine tasters have fewer nasal bacteria and less diverse bacterial species than non-wine tasters. One of the researchers, Lucía Perez-Pardal, told New Scientist that the alcohol molecule dehydrates bacteria. “It removes water from their membranes and they explode,” Perez-Pardal said. “If you kill the bacteria often, you don’t give enough time for repopulation.”
Skin microbiome
A complex community of microorganisms lives on our skin’s surface and deeper layers.
The skin microbiome includes bacteria, fungi and viruses. These microorganisms play an important role in keeping our skin healthy and protecting against harmful bacteria.
Imbalances in the skin microbiome have been associated with skin conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.
A study published earlier this year, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, found that two bacterial species, Cutibacterium acnesand Staphylococcus epidermidis were associated with a decline in collagen levels – the scaffolding that keeps your skin young-looking. Expect new anti-ageing treatments that target these bugs to be on the market shortly.
Lung microbiome
The one part of the body that was long thought to be sterile turns out to have a microbiome too. The lung microbiome is not as diverse as the other biomes, mainly consisting of bacteria.
It is believed that these bacteria come from the mouth and nose, making their way into the lungs when we inhale small amounts of oral and nasal secretions.[…]
Continue reading: Skin, mouth, lungs … it’s not just your gut that has a microbiome
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