Explainer | What is the gut microbiome? How a diet high in fibre and plant-based foods helps keep yours healthy – experts explain
- Our gut health has a direct impact on our immune system function and overall well-being. Diet is a major factor in the health of our gut, or gut microbiome
- Eating foods high in fibre helps good gut bacteria thrive and produce nutrients and short-chain fatty acids that regulate blood sugar and reduce inflammation
Looking after our gut health is important.
Colorectal is the third most common cancer in men and the second most common in women worldwide. In Hong Kong it is the second most common cancer and accounted for nearly one in six new cancer cases in 2019, according to the Centre for Health Protection.
When doctors talk about gut health, they often use the term “gut microbiome”, a reference to the trillions of bacteria, single-celled organisms known as archaea and protozoa, viruses, fungi and yeasts that mostly reside in our large intestine.
These microorganisms begin colonising our gut at birth. Some are beneficial to the body, but our gut also houses “bad” or “unfriendly” microorganisms that can have adverse effects on health.
Our gut health has a direct impact on our immune system function and therefore our overall well-being, says Dr Andrew Wong Tin-yau, honorary consultant and specialist in infectious disease at Matilda International Hospital in Hong Kong.
“Dietary fibre is important for gut health, even though the human body cannot digest it. Instead, the fibre we consume passes relatively intact through our digestive system. As it does so, the bacteria in our gut feed on it, producing nutrients in the process. These nutrients, which include vitamin K, help support our immune system,” Wong says.
