Diet, disease, and the microbiome

There is growing interest in the human body’s microbiome and its connection to chronic disease. A new study examines that connection, along with how the foods we eat influence the composition of our microbiome. Microbiome protects host and plays role in disease risk The microbiome consists of the genes of tiny organisms (bacteria, viruses, and other microbes) found in the gastrointestinal tract, primarily in the small and large intestine. The normal gut flora — another term for the microbiome — protects its human host. For the microbiome to flourish, the right balance must exist, with the healthy species dominating the less healthy. Scientists do not fully understand how the microbiome factors into the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Many factors, including differences between individuals and individual diets, have made this a difficult area to investigate. Study investigates relationships between diet, microbiome, and disease risk But a new study, published in Nature Medicine, accounts for these factors and sheds light on how our diets shape our microbiome and how our microbiome, in turn, influences our disease risk. The researchers studied more than 1,100 individuals enrolled in PREDICT 1, a large trial looking at individual responses to food. They used a technique called metagenomic sequencing to identify, classify, measure, and analyze genetic material from the study participants’ microbiomes. They also col...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Healthy Eating Heart Health Probiotics Source Type: blogs