Presenter: Andrea McBeth, ND, and Heather Zwickey, PhD

Original Date: October 20, 2019

Over the past several decades, we have gained immense insight into the world of the human microbiome. The observations made using techniques like Fecal Microbiota Transplant and microbial sequencing are contributing to a new paradigm of what it means to be human. We now know we are not alone in our own bodies. We are a compilation of trillions of microbes and human cells working together as an ecosystem with the bulk of this ecosystem residing in our colon. This ecosystem and the repercussions of its health are now being investigated outside the local GI system. The colonic microbiome is communicating with our brain through neuroimmune, neuroendocrine, and direct sensory input. The bi-directional role this gut-brain axis has on health expands our understanding of what GI and mental health really means.

1.5 General (Total 1.5 CEUs) approved by OBNM