Microbiome and Long-Term Health Considerations

Abstract

All the tissues of our body are formed by cells, but there are at least 1–10 times more microbes than cells in it, which coexist in balance and help us maintain our health. Most of them are found in the intestine; through their interaction with the food, they produce a great variety of functions related to nutrition and the functioning of the nervous, immune, and cardiovascular systems through their influence on gene programming, among others. It is now known that there are periods in life that are more sensitive and have greater long-term impacts that depend on the proper functioning of this large number of microbes in the human body. Pregnancy, birth, and the first 2 years of the life of a human are crucial stages that can predispose a person to health or disease, and in this chapter, we will be able to delve into the role played by cesarean section as a way of birth in this regard.