gut health
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Adam Florance
Nitrogen key to gut health Researchers at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre are at the forefront of a new study that may help us predict the ideal diet for optimal gut health. A collaboration between Australian and Norwegian scientists, this new research has developed the first general principles on the impact dietary balance plays on microbiota.
I
ntestinal nitrogen is the key to regulating
explained, “There are many ways to achieve a good
we eat in a way that doesn’t require cooperation
interactions between the microbes that live in
diet, and the same diet won’t work in the same
this lets bacteria do whatever they want — and
our gut and their host organism. Lead author
way in each person. The next step will be to more
mischief can ensue.”
Associate Professor Andrew Holmes, from the
rapidly characterise which dietary combinations
Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and
promote the best outcomes for each of our gut
Environmental Sciences, said, “There are many
microbiomes, and to this end we are developing
Professor Holmes added, “The largest nutrient
different diet strategies that claim to promote gut
a computer simulation for how this might work
requirements for our gut bacteria are carbon and
health, and until now it has been very difficult to
in practice.”
nitrogen in the foods we eat. As carbohydrates
establish clear causality between various types of diet and their effect on the host’s microbiome.” Diverse factors such as genetics, eating patterns and food composition have made it difficult to
This mischief can lead to problems like diabetes and obesity.
Previous studies identified patterns on how diet
contain no nitrogen but protein does, the bacterial
influences gut health but were unable to achieve
community response to the host animal’s diet is
a workable model explaining microbial responses
strongly affected by this diet’s protein-carbohydrate
to different types of diets.
ratio ... the microbial ecosystem is fundamentally
determine optimal strategies for promoting gut
Professor Holmes said, “This research
health, but now researchers will be able to develop
really lays the groundwork for future modelling
more accurate computer simulations, testing
by setting out the rules for a general model of
Published in Cell Metabolism, the research was
multiple diet variants, to predict ideal dietary
how diet shapes the gut ecosystem. The simple
led by the University of Sydney team in conjunction
combinations.
explanation is that when we eat in a way that
with EWOS Innovation of Norway, the ANZAC
Co-author Professor Stephen Simpson,
encourages cooperation between ourselves and
Research Institute, Concord Hospital and the
academic director of the Charles Perkins Centre,
bacteria we achieve a good microbiome, but when
University of Western Australia.
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shaped by a need to access nitrogen in the intestinal environment.”
LAB+LIFE SCIENTIST - Feb/Mar 2017 | 33