There are many different behaviors that could effect a persons gut microbial community. Some of them include diet, exercise, smoking, stress and medications. Looking at some of these behaviors and their effects more closely can lead to understanding how to have a healthier gut microbiome. One of the behaviors for a health microbiome is diet. The type of diet a person has can influence the size of their microbiome and its diversity. Western cultures tend to have a high fat and low fiber diet which causes a decrease in the overall size and diversity of a microbiome. High fiber diets tend to increase the size and diversity of a microbiome. Another behavior is physical activity. Increasing physical activity is correlated with increased diversity and overall size of microbiomes. A third behavior that effects microbiomes is taking medications such as antibiotics. Antibiotics can harm the size and diversity of a persons microbiome. However, probiotics are a medication that have been seen to effect the gut microbiome in a positive way. Although, the function of probiotics on the human gut microbiome is not yet completely understood but shows signs of some positive effects. If a person is looking to have a healthy and diverse microbiome it is important to have a healthy diet and exercise.
