Study says gut microflora falls into three categories
Posted 1 year ago by Jacob in General Health News
A group of international scientists have revealed that a person's gut is populated by one of three main types of microflora. Just as each of us belongs to one of the eight blood groups, the researchers also believe we each belong to one of three microbiome population types. These groups were categorised as: Bacteroides, Prevotella and Ruminococcus - the names are taken from the bacteria that dominate each of the groups. This discovery is particularly interesting as these large groups are all cleary distinguishable from one another, potentially shedding light on why individuals react differently to various diets and nutrients. The researchers are excited at the potential of this discovery in detecting and predicting the risks of diseases linked to the gut, such as; intestinal cancer, diabetes and Crohn's disease. The scientists also found that vitamin production differed between the groups; those who host the Bacteroides group have more Vitamin C, B2, B5 and H producing bacteria, whereas the Prevotella group produced more vitamin B1 and folic acid. Interestingly, the research team found that the three groups are not related to race, native country or even diet. Amazingly, the three microbiome clusters were found to not be nation or continent specific. Further research has been requested into these findings to ascertain whether further bacteria population types exist. The research team also noted that their findings were based on a relatively small sample size and further and more extensive research is needed. Exciting times in the world of microbiology!
OptiBac says: Specific is the name of the bacteria game, watch this space: perhaps some day you will take probiotics specific to your microbiome group!
Reference: Raes, J. et al. (2011) Enterotypes of the human gut microbiome. Nature, published online ahead of print
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