Our bodies are comprised of about ten trillion cells. But only half those cells are human. The remainder comprise our microbiome—a vast and complex ecosystem of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in or on our bodies. Only now is science beginning to understand the profound impact of these microbes on human health.We choose to believe that we are fully sentient and self-governing, wholly responsible for our health, moods and decisions. But the truth is far different. In fact, to a large extent, our emotional state, propensity for disease, the nature of our cravings, and even some of our decision making can be traced back to the nature of our gut ecology.Most of these microorganisms are symbiotic. Maintaining a healthy culture of the right microorganisms is fundamental to good health. But should the quality of your microbiome go awry, health havoc ensues.To better understand the vital role these microorganisms play in our health and lives, today’s show is a veritable microbiome masterclass courtesy of the gastroenterologists, scientific researchers, and gut experts that have graced the show over the years.After 8+ years and 500+ conversations, I’ve compiled a vast library of bankable, timeless information and advice. As a steward of this archive, I feel a responsibility to convert the best of it into a more helpful, productive, accessible, and practical resource.As an initial step toward this goal, I will be periodically offering curated wisdom focused on a specific theme or subject (as opposed to a guest). This episode is an embryonic experiment in doing just that—the first in what will be an evolving series of deep dives, commencing with this microbiome intensive courtesy of the following collection of past podcast gut health expert guests (all hyperlinked to their respective full episodes):

Robynne Chutkan, M.D.

Ara Katz and Raja Dhir

Zach Bush, M.D.

Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.

Will Bulsiewicz, M.D.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll575

YouTube: bit.ly/microbiome575

I sincerely hope you find this experiment helpful and instructive.Peace + Plants,Rich