Our Inner Soil – The Microbiome as the Foundation of Health

What fertile soil is for plants, our gut microbiome is for us humans.

On depleted, impoverished soils, hardly anything grows – no matter how much you fertilise or spray. The plants remain vulnerable, the harvest meagre. The same is true for our inner "soil": the human microbiome. If it is disturbed, thrown out of balance, or impoverished, our health cannot thrive either.

A diverse, stable microbiome is the foundation of our immune system, our digestion, our mental balance – and even our ability to cope with stress.

Just as healthy soils bring forth healthy plants, a healthy microbiome can be the foundation of a healthy human being.

What is the human microbiome?

Before we dive deeper, it’s worth taking a closer look: What exactly do we mean by the term “microbiome”?

The microbiome refers to the entirety of all microorganisms that live in and on our bodies. In our gut alone, there are around 100 trillion microbes – mainly bacteria, but also fungi, archaea, and viruses. Together, they weigh up to two kilograms – more than our brain.

These tiny life forms are not passive co-inhabitants. On the contrary: they actively shape our health. They digest fibre, produce essential vitamins (e.g. vitamins K and B12), train our immune system, protect us from pathogens, and even produce messenger substances that communicate directly with the brain.

When the inner soil gets out of balance

As in soil, there is a natural balance in the gut between beneficial and potentially harmful microorganisms. But this balance is delicate – and can easily be thrown off by our modern lifestyle.

A one-sided diet, stress, antibiotics, alcohol, pesticide residues in food or too much sugar – all of this can strain the microbiome. The result is what’s known as dysbiosis: a disrupted microbial balance that can manifest in a variety of ways:

• Digestive problems (bloating, diarrhoea, constipation)
• Allergies and food intolerances
• Skin issues (e.g. eczema, acne)
• Mood swings, irritability, depressive episodes
• Weak immune system
• Autoimmune diseases

But the causes of a disturbed microbiome aren’t just individual – they often start much earlier: in the soil.

From soil to gut: How the soil microbiome influences our gut microbiome

Few people know this: the microbiome in the soil and the human gut microbiome are more closely connected than it might seem at first glance. Both habitats – the root zone in the soil and our digestive tract – host an immense variety of microorganisms that are not only crucial for plant and human life, but also resemble each other in their functioning.
Microbes from the soil enter our food through plants – especially via fresh, unprocessed vegetables, salads, and fruits – and can directly influence our inner ecosystem.

Research shows: The microbiota of plants and humans share certain bacterial strains (so-called phyla). This means: Living, diverse soils can also nourish our microbial diversity.

However, when this living impulse is missing – for instance due to depleted, sterilised or pesticide-laden soils – our food contains fewer microorganisms and bioactive substances. Yet it is precisely these compounds that are essential for strengthening our microbiome, regulating inflammation, or training the immune system.

“Healthy soil, healthy food, healthy nutrition, healthy people.”

– Sven Studer, expert in regenerative agriculture, Jucker Farm

Our diet is therefore the most important lever to care for our microbiome – and it literally begins in the soil.

How we can care for our microbiome

The good news: our microbiome is capable of learning – and surprisingly adaptable. Within just a few days, its composition can change, depending on how we live and eat.

What supports our microbiome:

• Fibre from vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds
• Fermented foods like sauerkraut, yoghurt, kimchi, kombucha, or miso
• Bitter compounds and polyphenol-rich plant substances (e.g. from chicory, berries, green tea)
• Diversity on the plate – the more varied, the better
• Foods from regenerative agriculture – fresh, untreated, full of life
• Contact with nature: gardening, walking barefoot, touching soil

What harms the microbiome:

• Monotonous diet, processed foods, sugar
• Antibiotics (when taken unnecessarily)
• Excessive hygiene (e.g. aggressive disinfectants)
• Chronic stress and lack of sleep
• Pesticide residues in food

Because ultimately, the rule is: whoever understands how the microbiome works can make more conscious decisions – for their own health and for a way of eating that also nourishes our soils. Knowledge is the first step to taking responsibility – for ourselves and for the world in which our food grows.

The idea of “From Soil to Gut” is not just a lovely slogan – it’s a real, living principle that we at Soil to Soul want to embody.

That’s why we’re especially excited about our partnership with Jucker Farm. Together, we’re committed to agriculture that respects not only the soil, but also the people who depend on it – both as consumers and as producers.

Since 2021, Jucker Farm has been practising regenerative farming on parts of their land, setting an example for living soils and a future-proof food system. Their products reflect this philosophy: naturally grown, in harmony with nature, full of flavour – and full of life.

You can learn more about the fascinating world of soil microorganisms – and how Jucker Farm is promoting them through regenerative agriculture
– in the ARTICLE BY JUCKER FARM

Soil to Soul and Jucker Farm share the same vision: nutrition begins in the soil – and healthy soils are the foundation for healthy people.