Gut Microbiota

The large bowel is home to the majority of microbes in the human gut, where they act to ferment undigested food, mostly carbohydrates and fiber, and create fecal bulk. More than half of the bacteria that make up the human gut microbiota belong to Bacteroidetes or Firmicutes (9). The ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes has been shown to have health implications; a greater number of Firmicutes to a smaller number of Bacteroidetes has been seen in healthier individuals. What we eat can play a role on the composition of our gut, and which bacteria phyla are

If you're like many other people (including myself till I started researching this), you might only have a vague idea about what a healthy gut is. You likely know there are bacteria in your gut, that antibiotics destroy those bacteria and that you need to eat yogurt to put those bacteria back. You likely don't know you need to eat special yogurt containing active live cultures to bring bacteria back in your

* There exists a highly adapted range of bacteria present in the human gut that are inherited maternally.

The gut microbiome supplies the human host with metabolic capabilities beyond those encoded by its own genome (Khan et al., 2014). Because host metabolism is effectively regulated by the amalgamation of host and microbial genes (Khan et al., 2014), we should expect the gut microbiota to play a fundamental role in the health of its host. A compendium of research evidence demonstrates a compelling link between obesity and gut microbial composition. The connection between obesity and the gut microbiota is illustrated in the effects of diet on microbial diversity, the association of host genotype with microbial plasticity, the correlation of microbial diversity and metabolic disease, and the modulation of host metabolism by gut

The sheer diversity of the microbiota means that bodily disorders associated with the gut region (encompassing the stomach and intestines) are difficult to diagnose, and even harder to find the source of the disorder. Intestinal Bowel Disease (IBD) is a large category of bodily disorders associated with the gut. IBD most commonly manifests itself in two forms – Crohn’s Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis [1]. Crohn’s disease is arguably a more severe form of the disease, as the diseased tissue tends to go deeper into the intestines. Ulcerative Colitis, while still very detrimental and pain causing, causes inflammation of tissue at more of the surface level. The diseases affects a significant portion of the population, with a high rate of new cases discovered - between 20,000 and 100,000 people are diagnosed with types of IBD annually in North America [1]. The role of the microbiota in inducing intestinal diseases has been suspected.

These are some of the proposed functions of our microbiome. First of all, scientists have known for years that gut bacteria break down certain components of good that would otherwise be indigestible and would pass out of the body unused. In addition, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron breaks down carbohydrate, also capable of breaking down the large, complex carbohydrates found in plant. It also has genes that code for more than 260 enzymes capable of digesting plant matter. Helicobacter Pylori is a disease-causing bacterium, however, H. pylori benefits the body by helping to regulate levels of stomach acids, thus creating an environment that suits itself and it host, and surprisingly, plays a role in regulating two hormones in appetite (ghrelin). This function greatly help most children in the U.S. to prevent overproduction of fat cells. Sadly, many children are exposed to antibiotic treatments, has caused alterations in the compositions of their intestinal microbiome. This caused the rising of childhood obesity, and overproduction of

There are major effects in the United States and Europe to help identify the role of microbial communities in the human body. The colon requires a balance of microbial agents that assist with various functions of the body. An imbalance can lead to C.diff., irritable bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), neurological disorders, and obesity just to list a few. Many of these problems have grown to an epidemic proportion. Both the United States and Europe have started projects aimed at the microbial communities of the body and their roles in our health.

Unique microbiota could suggest a human’s current health or if there is any forthcoming chronic disease (Ley, 2006). Families with shared healthy microbes may be able to help relatives who suffer from gastrointestinal disease; but the extant to which the microbiome is shared across generations is not readily known and more research is needed. The core trends for current research revolve around control of obesity, treatment of gastrointestinal diseases such as Crohn’s, and hormonal manipulation in cases of depression. It is imperative to learn to eat for optimal health, to evolve along with the commensals (Turner et al., 2013) as human diets influence diversity of microbes present (Ley et al., 2008). This is a relatively new field with exciting prospects of positive outcomes for some of society’s more chronic

We know currently essential information about microbiomes to help us understand the human body a little better. The skin, mouth, esophagus, stomach, colon, gut, and vagina are composed of microbial communities. Collectively, the gut has the most information. Information pertaining to these body parts however, are limited simply because each individual is unique This makes each body just as unique as the person. (The Scientist Staff) It is in still in question whether we are functionally redundant between community members, and what kind of factors are influencing this. (Turnbaugh)

The use of the first form of microbe-based therapeutics, probiotics, is beneficial for preventing disease. These live microorganisms are known to strengthen the equilibrium of the gut flora by the development of healthy gut

These diseases are more common in affluent, Western countries, and are also seen in immigrants to these countries. According to the hygiene hypothesis, many childhood diseases can be attributed to too clean of an environment. (Neu, 2011). The human body is made up of 100 trillion cells. There are 10 times this many intestinal microorganisms. Estimations project that there are 100 times as many genes in aggregate of intestinal flora than there are in the human genome. These bacteria are basically like a vital organ when considering their metabolic function. Gut bacteria promote the intestinal mucosal immune system. Microorganisms and humans have developed a co-dependence. Microorganisms react to the drastically changing environment with increased inflammatory responses such as psychological stress, inappropriate diet (specifically the exponential increase of processed food), toxins, and cesarean delivery. The extent of chronic inflammatory disorders is potentially far larger than previously assumed including allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmunity, vascular disease, depression, anxiety, cancer, and possibly type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders. Children delivered by CD have a much higher chance to have celiac disease and gastroenteritis. Gut bacteria police their environment with toll-like receptors and pattern recognition. Gut flora influences oral

Gut microbiota changes in our body from birth to old age. The fetal intestinal tract is sterile until birth, after which the newborn tract begins to be colonized. Infants are exposed to a great variety of microorganisms from different environments during and immediately after birth, either in their encounter with their maternal vagina or by the cutaneous microorganisms depending on the type of delivery. Infants have lower intestinal bacteria counters with less diversity in the early weeks of life. Different method of feeding influences the microbiota. Until 2-3 years old, microbiota become similar to the adult microbiota. After that, it becomes stable until old age. Genetic factors such as obesity influence the development of gut microbiota.

This mechanism of diversity caused by many flora inside the digestive track of humans are beneficial because it helps with the digestion of a more diverse product. Even if the probiotic does not help with digestion some other

Smith et al. investigated the importance that the role of gut microbiota and diet that cause and exaggerate kwashiorkor, a severe form of malnutrition, in both monozygotic and dizygotic twins from Malawi, a country in Africa. The study tested twins, one that was well-nourished and one that was discordant, to evaluate changes in the bacteria of the gut while changing their diet, and the study also investigated the effect of fecal transplants to gnotobiotic mice to see how the gut microbiota along with the Malawian diet contribute to kwashiorkor by looking at the bacteria present before and after transplantation. The research is treated as a baseline study, and the authors hope that the results of the study can eventually be expanded to