Human gastrointestinal microbiota

Hey kiddo! So, do you know that your tummy has lots of tiny little creatures living inside it? These tiny creatures are known as microbes, and they help your body to work properly. The microbes living in your tummy are called gastrointestinal microbiota or gut microbiome.

Think of your gut as a big city and the microbes living inside it are like the population of the city. There are many different kinds of microbes in your tummy, just like there are different kinds of people in a city. Some of these microbes are good and some are bad.

The good microbes help you digest food and make important vitamins that your body needs. They also help to protect your body from harmful germs that can make you sick. Just like you might have friends who help you with your homework or protect you from bullies, these good microbes are like your very own little helpers.

Now, the bad microbes are like the bad guys in our city. They can make you sick by causing infections or stomach bugs that give you a tummy ache or make you feel unwell. But don’t worry, the good microbes are there to help fight off these bad guys and keep you healthy.

In order to keep all of these microbes happy and working properly, it’s important to feed them the right things. And just like you like to eat different foods, so do the different types of microbes in your tummy. Eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains make the good microbes happy and help them to work better.

So, always remember to be kind to your gut microbes by feeding them well, and they'll help keep you healthy and happy!