It ’s Not Yet Clear How to Boost the Microbiome. But Diet Is the Best Bet

The gut microbiome—the billions of bacteria that live inside the human digestive tract—is the focus of some of today’s most exciting and compelling medical research. Studies have linked microbiome-related imbalances to health conditions ranging from depression and Parkinson’s disease to heart disease. Some researchers have even started referring to the microbiome as a “forgotten organ” because of the indispensable role it plays in human health. It’s fairly clear that the foods a person eats—or doesn’t eat—can affect the composition of his or her microbiome. Research on mice has shown that switching from a fiber-and-antioxidant rich Mediterranean diet to a Western diet heavy in fat and protein can alter the microbiome’s population within a day. Also, diets high in sugar are able to decrease microbiome diversity within a week—a shift that has been associated with irritable bowel syndrome and diabetes. Researchers have also found that antibiotics or antibacterials are able to knock down or disrupt the human body’s microflora in ways that could promote disease or illness. All of these new discoveries are changing the way doctors think about and treat disease, says Krzysztof Czaja, an associate professor of veterinary biosciences at the University of Georgia. Czaja’s research in rodents has shown that diet-induced changes to the microbiome can “rewire” communication between an animal&r...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthytime Research Source Type: news