Exploring the Human Microbiome with Naveen Jain

Robin talks with Naveen Jain, entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of an impressive list of innovative companies that includes Moon Express, Intelius and Infospace. His newest company, Viome, provides bacteria analysis of the gut to uncover the source of digestive and other health problems. According to Jain, the gut microbiome is the key to overall health. Most chronic diseases people are living with today are caused by low-grade chronic inflammation, he says, which comes from imbalances in the gut microbiome. We are "walking, talking ecosystems," Jain says, and for optimum health, we have to find and fight toxins in our ecosystems that make us sick. The bottom line is that our genes are not our destiny, he emphasizes; gene expression, or function, influences our destiny more. Understanding that can lead to a personalized nutrition plan of good foods and foods to avoid. The overall function of the gut microbiome, then, can be fine-tuned to lead to better health.