Gut Bacteria Picky About What We Eat

[Zizzle]

Sorry for all the posts...So much in the news today!!

Could this be a holy grail in our undertstanding of MC? Does the low-carb/low-grain diet change our bacteria profile for the better?

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/749 ... mp&spon=20

Then the researchers used gene sequencing machines to determine the genetic code of the bacteria living in the volunteers' colons.

They found that the gut bacteria were largely from two enterotypes - Bacteroides, which preferred a typical Western diet rich in meat and fat, and Prevotella, which preferred a high-carbohydrate diet.

Next, the team wanted to see if they could alter the gut bacteria by changing people's diets.

They recruited 10 healthy people who checked into a hospital for a 10-day controlled eating study. Half of the group ate a high-fat, low-fiber diet, and the other ate a low-fat, high-fiber diet.

Within 24 hours, the team saw changes in the composition of the gut bacteria but the overall enterotype remained the same.

Dr. Lewis said the findings suggest bacteria that live in the gut are sensitive to short term changes in diet, but it may take a long-term dietary change to significantly alter the types of bacteria that reside in the gut.

[tex]

I don't see how that's news - I thought that was always common knowledge.

Tex

[Zizzle]

Hmmm, good point. Was it verifiable, case-control studied common knowledge or theoretical? I guess it's not such big news, but maybe docs will learn something.

[Polly]

Fascinating! Although we have believed this for some time, it is good to see it getting press.. I know Dr. Fine has always felt that diet can change gut flora. He told me once that sugar "feeds" the bad bacteria. Thanks for sharing.

Polly

[tex]

Was it verifiable, case-control studied common knowledge or theoretical?

Well, I can recall being aware of it way back when I was in high school, but I don't remember where I read it - it had to have been in a library book, because it wouldn't have been covered in the classroom. That effect has been known for at least three-quarters of a century, in animal studies, (rats). From a scientific study published in 1936:

Inline with the premise that the gastro-intestinal environment can affect the hydrolysis of phytin, the question arose as to whether cereals might not differ in the extent to which they promote this action. The activity of the intestinal flora produced on one cereal might be substantially different from that produced on another.

Not quite exactly what your source covered, but close enough for all practical purposes. Obviously, they were aware of the effect.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... 5-0047.pdf

Just as certain clothing fashion "fads" are recycled every few decades or so, a few researchers feel obligated to reinvent the wheel every so often.

Tex