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Volume 9.13 24th Oct 2019
BACTERIA: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY More and more research is delving into the area of gut bacteria and its impact on health and disease, but what’s good bacteria and what’s bad and are probiotics the answer? As humans are born, their individual gut microbiota develops and is affected by the birthing process and early life. For example, whether an infant is breastfed or formula-fed, or whether the mother has taken antibiotics during pregnancy or lactation, it has been shown to result in a different balance of microbiota in the infant’s gut.3,4 Furthermore, differences in gut microbiota have been identified between those born via the vaginal canal or by caesarean section, though arguably other factors may be driving these differences, as critically discussed by Stinson et al.5 A multicentre European study by Fellani et al, found that breastfed infants had significantly higher proportions of Bifidobacteria (40.7% vs 29.2%, P<0.001) than formula-fed infants.6 Additionally, this study found that country of origin effected gut microbiota balance post weaning: infants from northern European countries had a higher proportion of Bifidobacteria, whereas infants from southern European countries had higher proportions of Bacteroides and Lactobacilli.6 It could be
considered that the types of foods an infant is weaned on and their overall dietary intake will help determine which bacteria dominate for life. It is the foods eaten long term, along with other factors, such as environmental temperature and individual physiology,2 that play key roles in gut microbiota development. Once developed, the microbiota of an individual is quite stable for life. However, there are some factors that can lead to gut flora changes, for example, antibiotic use, ageing, changes in diet such as drastic calorie changes, or altering macronutrient balance. Also, high-fibre diets are associated with increased diversity of microbiota.7 TYPES OF GUT BACTERIA
Numerous types have been identified in the human gut. However, the main two phyla are the Bacteroidetes and the Firmicutes.2 These two phyla differ in the efficiency of their metabolism. For example, a study by Turnbaugh et al showed that obese individuals and mice with a higher proportion of Firmicutes
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Priya Tew Freelance Dietitian, Dietitian UK Priya runs Dietitian UK, a freelance dietetic service that specialises in social media and media work, consultancy for food companies and private patient work.
Naomi Leppitt Dietitian Naomi is newly qualified, working as a Community Dietitian in Windsor.