Imagine if you could study the biology of a great athlete like Michael Jordan, replicate it in pill form, and give it to other athletes to help them achieve the same success. Sounds like a fantasy, but scientists at Harvard are already seriously investigating the idea.

Do you wake up already tired, liters of coffee give only a short-term effect, and by the evening you have no strength for sports, hobbies, or communication with loved ones? We are used to writing off chronic fatigue on the frantic rhythm of life, magnetic storms or lack of vitamins. However, modern science proves: our "battery" is not in a cup of espresso at all.

We tend to think of ourselves as 100% human, but science proves otherwise: the number of cells in our bodies is about 30 trillion, while the number of bacterial cells is over 38 trillion. In fact, we are colonized beings, and our gut is a super-organ that controls our lives.

We’re used to popping a probiotic capsule after a course of antibiotics or when we’re feeling bloated, hoping for quick relief. But have you ever wondered what exactly happens when billions of live bacteria enter your digestive tract? It’s not just “magic” or blindly populating an empty space. There’s a complex, multi-level interaction going on inside us at the cellular and molecular levels.

With the onset of cold weather or during periods of stress, we are used to "boosting our immunity" with vitamin C, ginger, or echinacea. However, modern science proves that our immunity does not live in lemons. The main control panel of the body's defenses is located in our intestines and mucous membranes.

When we feel fear or anxiety, we often get a “sucking feeling” or “butterflies in our stomach.” From an evolutionary perspective, our brains never existed without signals coming from the gut. However, in today’s world, chronic stress has become the main enemy of our digestive system. З еволюційної точки зору наш мозок ніколи не існував без сигналів, які надходять із кишківника. Проте в сучасному світі хронічний стрес став головним ворогом нашої травної системи.

If you consider yourself 100% human, science is ready to argue with you. The number of human cells in our body is about 30 trillion, while the number of bacterial cells is about 38 trillion. That is, the ratio is about 50:50. In our gastrointestinal tract alone, about 2 kilograms of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa live.

You are never alone. Even now, reading this text, you are in the company of trillions of small “roommates”. This is your microbiome. For a long time, we considered bacteria to be enemies, but modern science proves: they are our best friends, controlling almost all processes in the body: from immunity to the ability to enjoy life.