New Study Shows HOW the Microbiome Protects Us!

How do good gut bacteria protect against harmful ones?

📢 New research alert!!

The gut microbiome consists of hundreds of different bacterial species and strains. One health benefit is that these bacteria can protect against the invasion of harmful bacteria.

But until now, there have been unanswered questions about how this works and whether some strains are more important than others.

A new study published in Science found that it was NOT any single bacterial strain that was protective but instead the combined effect of at least 50+ strains together.

Also, the WAY the collective bacterial communities protected against harmful invaders was by consuming nutrients those invaders might need.

The takeaway?

An optimal microbiome is a diverse microbiome.

Gut health is always something we look at as part of the bigger picture of our patient’s health.

Reference

Spragge F, Bakkeren E, Jahn MT, et al. Microbiome diversity protects against pathogens by nutrient blocking. Science. 2023;382(6676):eadj3502. [link]

Research Alert! Microbiome & Weight Loss

🌟 Exciting Research 🌟

One of the most common questions people ask me is: Should I take a probiotic?

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria to populate the gut microbiome, and a general trend we see in research is that a more diverse microbiome (more variety of microorganisms) is associated with better health.

But a new study has found yet another way to improve the microbiome:

Weight loss.

Regardless of whether people followed intermittent fasting or calorie restriction, weight loss led to more diversity of the microbiome AND (another sign of better health) changes in DNA methylation.

Why am I so excited by this?

Because it shows how resilient the body is.

When we make changes in a positive direction toward health, our bodies benefit in ways we cannot even see and may never even know.

Drop me a ❤️ if you agree.

#gutmicrobiome #microbiome #microbiomehealth #metabolichealth #elementsnatmed

Reference

Hill EB, Konigsberg IR, Ir D, Frank DN, Jambal P, Litkowski EM, Lange EM, Lange LA, Ostendorf DM, Scorsone JJ, et al. The Microbiome, Epigenome, and Diet in Adults with Obesity during Behavioral Weight Loss. Nutrients. 2023; 15(16):3588. [link]