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Although we still have a lot to know about the Human Microbiota, we must know that today there are various international projects that since approximately 2008 have been studying the relationship between the intestinal microbiota and diseases.
Human Microbiome Project, My New Gut or MetaHIT are just some of them, and among their projects are the study of the intestine-brain axis, the trophic networks of these microorganisms or the relationship between metabolic diseases and the bacteria that inhabit our body.
In the intestine we house approximately 6 or 9 bacterial phyla, of which we have 160 different species... And you know what? We have a total of approximately 100 trillion bacteria each of us, and that adds up to a total of 600,000 different genes (microbiome). What does that mean? That we are HOLOBIONTH beings: entities formed by the association of different species that give rise to ecological units; And we have a little more bacteria than human cells in the small intestine, in fact it is a ratio of 1/1.3. Surprising, right?
Its influence is such that various scientific groups have shown a special interest in the study of this ecological niche that lives within us, since the expression of its genes, its metabolites (products of its metabolism) and the relationship with our immune system influences directly on our state of health or illness.
Well Maria, but explain to me… What are these “edges”? Bacterial phylogeny (phylum) is a taxonomic classification of microorganisms – also called trunk or type or type of organization – that helps us divide the bacteria that we mentioned before by lineage. These phyla are large groups that we divide into Firmicutens, Bacteroides, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia and Fuseobacteria and that are present in all human beings.
50% of bacteria (since they are the most abundant microorganisms in our intestine along with viruses, fungi and parasites) are shared between human beings, and we know that although each person has a different composition, some phyla and species are shared.
MetaHIT discovered that an imbalance between the Firmicutens/Bacteroidetes ratio (a dysbiosis) increases the surface area for energy absorption and extraction of food in the small intestine by up to 250%, and this pattern is observed in people with obesity, insulin resistance and overweight. What does that mean? That this person absorbs much more kcal than a healthy person.
Furthermore, the consumption of alcohol, the abuse of pastries, sugars, trans fats or the abuse of drugs, simultaneously causes more dysbiosis and intestinal permeability, which leads to an increase in the translocation of LPS in the blood, insulin resistance. , hyperinsulinemia… and therefore worse fat oxidation and greater metabolic risk.
What symptoms might a person with this type of dysbiosis feel?
It has a solution?
Yes, without a doubt, with diet, food and phytotherapy we can modulate the microbiota. Furthermore, thanks to the invention of specialized laboratory techniques such as Shotgun Metagenomics or 16S sequencing (PCR), these great projects we are talking about have managed to create large databases with a lot of information to help health professionals know and improve the biodiversity of the microbiome.
How can I get tested?
We have different tests to investigate the bacterial composition of each individual, but the assessment of an expert trained in the area is always necessary for interpretation and subsequent microbiota modulation therapy.
“Diseases do not come to us from nowhere, they develop from small daily sins against Nature. When enough have accumulated, diseases will suddenly appear” – Hippocrates
Human beings are capable of adapting to almost any situation. This is an incredible advantage for the survival of the species. It allows us to perfect strategies and mechanisms so that they become part of our daily lives, like our pocket tools.
