Your microbiome is a diverse population of microorganisms that live in and on your body. Your skin, mouth, nose, lungs and gut are some places where the microbes can be found.

The microbiome refers to an entire community of organisms that resides within you! The term covers all the bacteria, fungi, and viruses living inside - and outside- your cells. These tiny critters have taken up residence anywhere they please; from deep down in our guts to just under our outermost layer of epidermis (outer protective tissue covering). In a weird twist for evolution, you are more bacteria than human! A study by the University of Colorado found that there were 40 trillion bacterial cells in your body and only 20-30 trillion human cells. This means it’s actually impossible for us to get rid of all our bacteria because they outnumber us 10:1.

The gut microbiome, and its diversity, is particularly important for your health. They help your immune system fight off infection and regulate metabolism, among other functions that are still being explored by scientists today.So what does this mean? Well for one thing it means there's an awful lot more science left to explore before we can fully understand how these tiny creatures make us tick...and if they're responsible for things like weight gain, mood, and evel risk of disease like diabetes.