Boost their immune system Research shows that playing in (or even eating) the dirt can strengthen young immune systems. “Without exposure to everyday germs, which can be found in mud, children miss out on building a stronger, more robust immunity to sickness,” Dr Ryan Harvey from House Call Doctor explains.

Mycobacterium vaccae is a nonpathogenic species of the Mycobacteriaceae family of bacteria that lives naturally in soil. Its generic name originates from the Latin word, vacca (cow), since the first Mycobacterium strain was cultured from cow dung in Austria.

Mycobacterium vaccae is the substance under study and has indeed been found to mirror the effect on neurons that drugs like Prozac provide. The bacterium is found in soil and may stimulate serotonin production, which makes you relaxed and happier.

Soil microorganisms can be classified as bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, algae and protozoa. Each of these groups has characteristics that define them and their functions in soil. Up to 10 billion bacterial cells inhabit each gram of soil in and around plant roots, a region known as the rhizosphere.

Getting your hands dirty in the garden can increase your serotonin levels – contact with soil and a specific soil bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, triggers the release of serotonin in our brain according to research. Serotonin is a happy chemical, a natural anti-depressant and strengthens the immune system.

The soil taken from its churchyard has long been known for its restorative properties — an uncanny ability to fight infection. As the BBC reports, a person only has to wrap the soil in cloth and place it under the pillow. A prayer or two doesn’t hurt.

Playing in dirt may actually play a role in lifting depression. Live Science reported on a 2007 study that showed “Exposure to friendly soil bacteria could improve mood by boosting the immune system just as effectively as antidepressant drugs.” That friendly soil microbe is Mycobacterium vaccae.

Traditionally, the most common and well-known infection is tetanus, caused by Clostridium tetani, which lives in soil and manure. Infections occur through contamination of cuts and scrapes caused by things in contact with the soil, such as garden tools or rose thorns.

Just as the microbes in the human body both aid digestion and maintain our immune system, soil microorganisms both digest nutrients and protect plants against pathogens and other threats.

Whip Up Your Own Probiotics All you need is a jar, some molasses, a little water and some dirt. Homebrewed microbial mix can be spray directly onto plant foliage or diluted in water to increase its volume. Remember, the idea is to colonize the garden with healthy, biodiverse soil bacteria.

One of the most important functions of commensal bacteria is boosting the immune system. Studies by other researchers have found that mice raised in sterile, germ-free environments have poorly developed immune systems. But until now, scientists have not known the mechanism by which bacteria help the immune system.

The bacteria in your digestive system are from anywhere between 300 and 1000 species. As these bacteria are helpful, your body does not attack them. They actually appear to the body’s immune system as cells of the digestive system, not foreign invaders.

A “western” diet that’s high in fat and sugar and low in fiber can kill certain types of gut bacteria, making your microbiota less diverse. Limit use of antibiotics, which can wipe out healthy bacteria along with problematic bacteria, to only when necessary as determined by your doctor.

Those bacteria help your body to break down big food molecules into useable fuel. The bacteria also produce vitamins and help protect the body from diseases. The whole population of bacteria in our bodies is called the human microbiota. The relationship between you and your gut bacteria is symbiotic.

The four dominant bacterial phyla in the human gut are Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. Most bacteria belong to the genera Bacteroides, Clostridium, Faecalibacterium, Eubacterium, Ruminococcus, Peptococcus, Peptostreptococcus, and Bifidobacterium.

Dysbiosis typically occurs when the bacteria in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract — which includes your stomach and intestines — become unbalanced. Some effects of dysbiosis, such as stomach upset, are temporary and mild. In many cases, your body can correct the imbalance without treatment.

The main types of bacteria in the colon are obligate anaerobes, and the most abundant bacteria are members of the genus Bacteroides, anaerobic gram-positive cocci, such as Peptostreptococcus sp., Eubacterium sp., Lactobacillus sp., and Clostridium sp.

Bacterial gastroenteritis can result from poor hygiene. Infection can also occur after close contact with animals or consuming food or water contaminated with bacteria (or the toxic substances bacteria produce).

10 Ways to Improve Your Gut Bacteria, Based on Science

1. Eat a Diverse Range of Foods. There are hundreds of species of bacteria in your intestines.
2. Eat Lots of Vegetables, Legumes, Beans and Fruit.
3. Eat Fermented Foods.
4. Don’t Eat Too Many Artificial Sweeteners.
5. Eat Prebiotic Foods.
6. Breastfeed for at Least Six Months.
7. Eat Whole Grains.
8. Eat a Plant-Based Diet.

As of 2014, it was often reported in popular media and in the scientific literature that there are about 10 times as many microbial cells in the human body as there are human cells; this figure was based on estimates that the human microbiome includes around 100 trillion bacterial cells and that an adult human …

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But if we assume that the global bacteria population is stable, then it follows that one bacterium must die for each new one that is produced. Bacteria divide somewhere between once every 12 minutes and once every 24 hours. So the average lifespan of a bacterium is around 12 hours or so.