How to change the gut microbiome: scientific approaches and the whole truth about probiotics

Світлана Бурмей
1 day ago
3 min read

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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.

It is the unique composition of the microbiome that determines our mood, weight, eating habits, immunity, and even our desire to study or exercise. The good news is that unlike our genes, which we cannot change, we are able to change and reprogram our microbiome through lifestyle and targeted correction.

But how do you do it right, based on science, not marketing?

1. Forget about dysbacteriosis and universal pills

Previously, doctors often diagnosed “dysbacteriosis,” but today this concept is considered outdated. Modern science uses the term “imbalance.” There are no absolutely good or bad microbes; what matters is their individual quantitative ratio and functional capacity in your specific body.

That is why the classic approach — going to the pharmacy and buying a highly advertised probiotic (especially a multi-strain one, where 15 or 36 types of bacteria are mixed) — is extremely dangerous.

Professor Nadiya Boyko gives a perfect comparison: imagine a closed club (your intestines), where all your own microbes have been sitting on their chairs for a long time. And suddenly you randomly drive 36 new strangers there and tell them: “Now go for a walk!” People become very uncomfortable: both those who were sitting and those who came. By taking probiotics “blindly”, you risk suppressing and destroying the remnants of your own, unique beneficial microflora.

2. Diagnostics: from microbiota to Omics profile

You can't change what you don't understand. A scientific approach to correction begins with accurate diagnosis. Modern 3P medicine (personalized, predictive, preventive) uses two main levels of research:

In-depth study of the microbiota: Allows you to isolate cultured microorganisms, establish the primary changes that initiate the disease (from swelling to acne), and select drugs to quickly eliminate inflammation.
Microbiome Genetic Analysis (NGS): This is deep sequencing that identifies the DNA of all the microorganisms and their metabolic activity. It creates your unique Omics profile. This analysis shows not only who lives in your gut, but also what those microbes are doing — for example, how much beneficial short-chain fatty acids (butyrate) they produce.

3. The era of pharmabiotics and the microbiota bank

Once we understand your gut’s “formula,” the stage of targeted correction begins. Instead of conventional mass-market supplements, cutting-edge science uses pharmabiotics —next-generation biologics with clinically proven efficacy.

Their main difference: they are personalized in such a way as to specifically inhibit (suppress) the opportunistic microorganisms that cause your condition, while guaranteeing not to harm your own beneficial lacto- and bifidobacteria.

In addition, science offers a revolutionary service - Personal Microbiota Bank . The most valuable currency in your body is your own microorganisms (commensals). If your microbiome is normal now, you can donate it for storage. In the future, if you experience severe stress, severe treatment or antibiotic therapy, you can restore your health with the help of your own, laboratory-grown bacteria, which will take root at 100%.

4. Personalized nutrition: we are not feeding ourselves

Populating the beneficial bacteria is only half the battle. If you don’t give them the right food, they will just pass through and not take root. As scientists point out: when we say we are feeding ourselves, we are actually feeding our microorganisms. They are the ones who dictate our food preferences and demand sugar or buns if the pathogenic flora has overgrown.

Classic diets don't work, because each person digests the same apple in a completely different way, receiving a different amount of energy depending on the composition of the bacteria.

Therefore, the scientific approach involves calculating an individual nutrition plan using special algorithms and global databases (EuroFIR, ePlantLIBRA). The algorithm selects products so that plant ingredients (fiber, polyphenols) act as prebiotics for those groups of bacteria that you need to stimulate, and suppress those that cause inflammation or weight gain.

Basic tips for supporting your microbiome today:

Variety: The more different foods you eat, the more diverse your microbiome will be. Legumes, asparagus, artichokes, and oats all contain fiber, which encourages the growth of bifidobacteria. But if you've been eating few vegetables before, introduce them in microdoses to avoid bloating and give your bacteria time to adapt.
Fermented foods: Yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir contain lactobacilli, which reduce the number of unwanted microbes.
Avoid artificial sweeteners: Substances such as aspartame raise blood sugar levels and stimulate the growth of pathogenic enterobacteria.

You have exactly the microbiome you deserve with your lifestyle. Stop fighting your body with one-size-fits-all diets or pills “blindly” – invest in exact science, and your “second brain” will thank you with longevity and inexhaustible energy!