The human gut is fast emerging as the most sought-after biohacking target, and not without reason. While the presence of the gut microbiome has been known to modern medicine for many decades now, its great significance has only been revealed in recent years. This collection of microbes colonising the human gut (or more technically, their collective genomic material) has now come to occupy the centre stage when it comes to understanding both disease processes as well as wellness strategies.

The overarching influence of these beneficial, benign or harmful microbes is evident from the fact that it plays mission-critical roles in fundamental physiologic processes including immunity, inflammation, nerve signalling and healthy ageing. Gut microbiome composition has been discovered to influence numerous diseases including the most common killer diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, autoimmune conditions, dementia etc., as well as psychological issues like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia etc. via the Gut-Brain Axis.