The first part of the gastrointestinal (GI) health discussion explained the composition of the human GI tract and the many roles it plays in our health. This second part will discuss what you can do to improve your GI health. Having a healthy gut microbiome is important not only for digestive health, but also for the prevention of several common health conditions such as autoimmune diseases, immune related conditions, allergies, skin conditions and certain types of cancers.1

The human gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome is comprised of a complex ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, other microbes and genes that influences nearly every system in our body. There are over 400 bacterial species in the GI system,1,2 which is greater than the total number of cells in the human body.2 We often hear about the negative effects of bad bacteria and microbes, however, bacteria can have many beneficial functions in our bodies. A healthy microbiome is importan