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  • Sun. Nov 3rd, 2024
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Scientists are finding that the gut microbiota may be linked to heart health, some cancers, and even the colour of urine.

About Gut Microbiota:

  • The human gut microbiota refers to the trillions of microbes, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, that live in the human gut.
  • Previously, people referred to the gut microbiota as the microflora of the gut.
  • The gut microbiome is the environment they live in.
  • Establishment of the human gut microbiota:
    • Infants inherit their first gut microbes during vaginal delivery or breastfeeding (chestfeeding). 
    • Later, your diet and other environmental exposures introduce new microbes to your biome.
  • The gut microbiota assists in a range of bodily functions, including:
    • harvesting energy from digested food
    • protecting against pathogens
    • regulating immune function
    • strengthening the biochemical barriers of the gut and intestine
  • Changes in microbiota composition can affect these functions.
  • Disease:
    • While there are beneficial bacteria in the gut, there are also harmful bacteria that can enter the Gastrointestinal (GI) tract and cause infection.
    • These infections include food poisoning and other GI diseases that result in diarrhoea and vomiting.
    • Research suggests that bacterial populations in the GI system play a role in developing gut conditions, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
    • Low microbial diversity in the gut also has links to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
    • The status of the gut microbiota also has links to metabolic syndrome.
    • Disturbing the microbiota with antibiotics can also lead to disease, including infections that become resistant to antibiotics.

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