By Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Mike Roizen, MDs From Nnewsmax

From your passage through the birth canal to your first taste of breast milk, a first encounter with your pet dog or cat, and first handful of not-so-tasty dirt in the backyard, you are building your gut biome, that super-dense world of trillions of microbes that live in your gastrointestinal system.

They’re essential for everything from a healthy immune system and controlling your weight, moods, and glucose levels to helping prevent acne.

When they’re out of whack because of an unhealthy diet, chronic stress, overuse of antibiotics, chronic inflammation, or lack of physical activity, you’re at risk for some cancers, heart disease, depression, obesity, and autoimmune conditions such as Crohn’s or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The latest studies have begun to decipher the genetic components of those microbes and understand: (1) how they’re unique in individuals; and (2) how they’re similar among groups of folks.

This info helps us deliver some basic action points so that you can maintain a well-balanced biome, stay healthy, and fight off disease.

Five ways you throw off your healthy balance of microbes:

1. Eating highly processed foods. These foods are short on fiber and loaded with chemical additives, sugars and syrups, emulsifiers, and unhealthy oils (trans and saturated fats). Be especially aware of hidden saturated fat in foods made with egg yolks. Processed foods starve your good gut bacteria, while letting bad ones thrive.
2. Eating red and processed meats. Processed and red meats (that includes pork) change the gut biome, trigger inflammation, and are associated with everything from heart disease and depression to obesity, cognitive decline, and cancer.
3. Eating the same old, same old. A narrow diet denies your gut microbiome of diversity and limits its adaptability when battling disease and working to keep you healthy.
4. Taking unneeded antibiotics. At least 30 percent of antibiotics prescribed for outpatients are unnecessary. Plus, the average American child is given nearly three courses of antibiotics in the first two years of life, and eight more during the next eight years.
5. Sitting too much, sleeping too little, stressing too often.This triumvirate kills off gut diversity, which damages your endocrine and immune systems.

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