The composition of the gut microbiome helps predict how likely a person is to succumb to potentially life-threatening infections with Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and other bugs — and it can be changed by changing diet, new research has found. (Also read: You are what you eat: Study shows surprising link between fiber, gut health and cancer )
A group of bacteria called Enterobacteriaceae, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella, E.coli and others, are present at low levels as part of the healthy human gut microbiome. However, certain catalytic factors, such as increased inflammation in the body or consumption of contaminated food, these bugs can cause disease. In extreme cases, too much Enterobacteriaceae in the gut can be life-threatening.
How the gut microbiome protects against harmful bacteria
The researchers used computational approaches, including artificial intelligence, to analyze the composition of the gut microbiomes of more than 12,000 people in 45 countries from stool samples. They found that a person’s microbiome “signature” can predict whether a person’s gut is likely to be colonized by Enterobacteriaceae. Results are consistent across health conditions and geographic locations.
The researchers identified 135 species of gut microbes that are normally found in the absence of Enterobacteriaceae. It probably protects against infection. The results are published in the journal Nature Microbiology. Among the protective gut species is a group of bacteria called Faecalibacterium, which produce beneficial compounds called short-chain fatty acids by breaking down the fiber in the foods we eat.
The role of fiber in promoting gut health
It appears to protect against infection with a number of Enterobacteriaceae pathogens. Researchers believe that eating more fiber in our diet will support the growth of good bacteria – and crowd out the bad to significantly reduce the risk of disease. In contrast, taking probiotics that do not directly alter the gut environment is less likely to affect the likelihood of infection with Enterobacteriaceae.
“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 it changes the environment in our gut to make it more hostile to invaders – said Dr. Alexander Almeida. , a research fellow in the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge and senior author of the paper.
He added: “By consuming fiber in foods such as vegetables, beans and whole grains, we can provide raw materials 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.
