Scientists Recommend Doing This Instead To Improve Your Gut Health
By University of Cambridge
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Eating more fiber-rich foods can strengthen beneficial
gut bacteria that protect against harmful Enterobacteriaceae, reducing
infection risk more effectively than probiotics.
The Enterobacteriaceae family of bacteria—which
includes Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella, Escherichia
coli (E. coli), and others—naturally exists in small amounts
within a healthy human gut microbiome. However, when these bacteria grow
excessively, often due to factors like increased inflammation or consumption of
contaminated food, they can lead to illness and disease. In severe cases, an
overgrowth of Enterobacteriaceae in the gut can become life-threatening.
To better understand this risk, researchers analyzed the gut
microbiome composition of over 12,000 individuals from 45 countries using
computational methods, including artificial intelligence (AI), based
on stool samples. Their findings revealed that a person’s unique microbiome
profile can predict the likelihood of Enterobacteriaceae colonization. This
pattern was consistent across various health conditions and geographic regions.
Protective Gut Bacteria and the Role of Fiber
The researchers identified 135 gut microbe species that
are commonly found in the absence of Enterobacteriaceae, likely protecting
against infection.
Notable amongst the protective gut species are a group of
bacteria called Faecalibacterium, which produce beneficial compounds called
short-chain fatty acids by breaking down fibre in the foods we eat. This seems
to protect against infection by a range of disease-causing Enterobacteriaceae
bugs.
The researchers suggest that eating more fibre in our diet
will support the growth of good bacteria – and crowd out the bad ones to
significantly reduce the risk of illness.
Probiotics Offer Limited Protection
In contrast, taking probiotics – which don’t directly change the environment in the gut – is less likely to affect the likelihood of Enterobacteriaceae infection.
The results are published in the journal Nature
Microbiology.
“Our results suggest that what we eat is potentially very
important in controlling the likelihood of infection with a range of bacteria,
including E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae,
because this changes our gut environment to make it more hostile to invaders,”
said Dr Alexandre Almeida, a researcher at the University of Cambridge’s
Department of Veterinary Medicine and senior author of the paper.
He added: “By eating fibre in foods like vegetables, beans,
and whole grains, we can provide the raw material for our gut bacteria to
produce short chain fatty acids – compounds that can protect us from these
pathogenic bugs.”
Klebsiella pneumonia can cause pneumonia,
meningitis, and other infections. The alarming global rise in antibiotic
resistance to this bacterial pathogen has led scientists to look for new ways
of keeping it, and other similar infectious bacteria, under control.
“With higher rates of antibiotic resistance, there are fewer
treatment options available to us. The best approach now is to prevent
infections occurring in the first place, and we can do this by reducing the
opportunities for these disease-causing bacteria to thrive in our gut,” said
Almeida.
A new understanding of gut microbe interactions
Earlier research to understand interactions between the
different bacteria in our gut has used mouse models. But some of these new
results are at odds with previous findings.
The new study revealed that 172 species of gut microbe can
coexist with disease-causing Enterobacteriaceae bugs. Many of these species are
functionally similar to the bugs: they need the same nutrients to survive.
Previously it was thought that competition for resources would stop the
disease-causing bacteria from getting established in the gut.
This has important implications for treatment: taking
probiotics that compete for the same nutrients with the bad bacteria to try and
starve them out isn’t going to work. The researchers say that it will be more
beneficial to change the environment in the gut, for instance through diet, to
reduce the risk of infection with Enterobacteriaceae.
“This study highlights the importance of studying pathogens
not as isolated entities, but in the context of their surrounding gut
microbiome,” said Dr Qi Yin, a visiting researcher at the University of
Cambridge’s Department of Veterinary Medicine and first author of the report.
Reference: “Ecological dynamics of Enterobacteriaceae in the
human gut microbiome across global populations” by Qi Yin, Ana C. da Silva,
Francisco Zorrilla, Ana S. Almeida, Kiran R. Patil and Alexandre Almeida, 10
January 2025, Nature Microbiology.
DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01912-6
The study was funded by the Medical Research Council.
