Our gastrointestinal tract is now considered one of the most complex microbial ecosystems on earth, and its influence is such that it’s frequently referred to as our “second brain." Nearly 100 trillion bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms compose our gut microbiome, and advancing science has made it quite clear that these organisms play a major role in our health, both mental and physical.
There are more bacterial cells in your body than human cells, but the ratio isn’t as extreme as once thought. A 2016 study at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel found that our total cell count is 56 per cent bacteria (compared with earlier estimates of 90 per cent). And because bacteria are much smaller, their total mass is only about  200g. So by weight, we are more than 99.7 per cent human, and there is more bacterial DNA than human DNA. Read more

The gut microbiome has a most critical impact on our health through its strong link to the functioning of our heart, brain, endocrine system, liver, immune system and the functioning of the digestive system itself.   

GUT MICROBIOME AND OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
The gut microbiota, is the largest symbiotic ecosystem with the host. It has been shown to play important roles in maintaining and regulating the intestinal and immune homeostasis. Recently it became obvious that alterations of these gut microbial communities can cause immune dysregulation, leading to autoimmune disorders. Read more

​"Recent advances show a relationship and possible cause and effect between the gut microbiota and the initiation or exacerbation of autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, microbial dysbiosis and leaky gut are frequent phenomena in both human autoimmune diseases and the murine autoimmunity models."

Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome is caused by the imbalance between the commensal (indigenous bacteria) and pathogenic microbiomes. The commensal microbiome regulates the maturation of the mucosal immune system (the largest component of the entire immune system), while the pathogenic microbiome causes immunity dysfunction, resulting in disease development. The gut mucosal immune system, which consists of lymph nodes, lamina propria and epithelial cells, constitutes a protective barrier for the integrity of the intestinal tract. The composition of the gut microbiota is under the surveillance of the normal mucosal immune system. Inflammation, which is caused by abnormal immune responses, influences the balance of the gut microbiome, resulting in intestinal diseases. In this review, we briefly outlined the interaction between the gut microbiota and the immune system and provided a reference for. (Read more)

Selenium and zinc are needed for converting T4 to T3, and vitamin D assists in regulating the immune response "The damage incurred to gut microbiota by drugs in general and antibiotic drugs in particular! The human gut microbiota has now been proved to be closely associated with drug responses and efficacy, while chemical compounds present in these drugs can also impact the gut bacteria. Some drugs with microbial features, proton-pump inhibitors, metformin, antibiotics and laxatives show the strongest impact and associations with the microbiome. Read more 

Gut Microbiome Related Health Issues - To name a few: Prostate problems, dark skin, athlete’s foot, various eye conditions, and the list goes on! The above linked studies (and many more) show that for many of us, some of these problems can be related to one common issue – gut microbiome imbalance. There are diverse expert opinions for solutions but our recommended kombucha/jun daily intake is definitely a good start. At the end of the day it is all very personal. Sharing your own personal experience in the customer review section below could definitely help.

Many studies have linked certain gut microbes to autoimmune disease, in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. Read more
Fischbach says that many afflictions, from Crohn’s to cardiovascular disease, may be caused by dysfunction or imbalances in our microbial communities (Read more). About 1 million people in the United States have ulcerative colitis, a serious disease of the colon that has no cure and whose cause is obscure. Now, a study by Stanford University School of Medicine investigators has tied the condition to a missing microbe.