As a result, following antibiotic treatment or SCRD, the reintroduction of friendly bacteria, such as lactobacilli found in unpasteurized yoghurt, can help restore a normal balance and aid metabolic health.

Microbial populations participate in a wide range of metabolic functions, including digestion and the production of neurotransmitters and vitamins. Some microbiologists have even described this population of non-self organisms as a “bacterial organ.” Others have taken to describing the human body as a “superorganism.”