Our Food Determines The Intestinal Microflora
Author: Leticia Celentano
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
The intestinal microbiome is determined by the presence of bacteria that are responsible for some basic functions of the body. However, they could also lead to health problems.
Everything we eat can affect the gut . The composition of the bacteria that grow in them can change, depending on the diet.
More and more research shows that these changes affect basic functions in the body : they support digestion and metabolism, affect immunity and determine the amount of calories consumed. They also contribute to obesity and diabetes, as well as other health problems.
A new study by experts from the United States and Brazil and published in the journal Science shows that the predominant species of bacteria found in the gut microbiome, can change depending on the diet - if, for example, we adhere to a certain diet for a long enough time.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania studied the relationship between eating habits and the intestinal flora of 98 volunteers for two different periods. During the longer one, the researchers monitor what the participants consume during a year, and during the other one - for 24 hours.
In analyzing long-term data, the researchers found that 2 types of diets were associated with the dominance of certain types of bacteria. The intestinal microflora of people who have a diet that is almost fiber-free but high in animal protein contains bacteria such as Bacteroides .
Those who eat more fiber and less animal fat and protein have a higher content of bacteria such as Prevotella .
In analyzing the data from the shorter period, the researchers did not find the same relationship between diet and intestinal microflora, which suggests that the composition of the intestinal microflora is relatively constant according to the individual's usual diet.
It is not yet clear whether the relationship works in reverse, namely - whether the different composition of the intestinal microflora affects our eating habits.
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