The term microbiome is used to collectively describe all of the microorganisms living in a specific environment or community. The gut microbiome encompasses the bacteria, viruses, and fungi, as well as their genes, that reside within the lining of the gastrointestinal tract.
The microbiome is becoming increasingly recognized for its importance in human health and disease and is one of the hottest topics in medicine right now, with IBD being the most extensively studied among disease states (Lloyd-Price J et al) (Integrative HMP [iHMP] Research Network Consortium). Microbiome disturbances are commonly found in IBD and are increasingly implicated in the onset and development of IBD (Khan I et al) (Kostic AD et al). As diet has the greatest impact on the microbiome, it may offer the most manipulatable lever to modulate it for therapeutic benefit (Sonnenburg ED and Sonnenburg JL) (Serban DE).
Nutritional therapy offers the ability to affect the microbiome upstream at a potential source of inflammation, while medications target the immune system downstream. When using the therapies in combination, this two-pronged approach may offer a potential advantage for improved outcomes (Green N et al) (Lee D et al).