Diversity of the gut microbiota is crucial for human health. A new study provides the first evidence of the interconnection between the plant and the gut microbiome. The connection is established mainly by three bacterial orders (Enterobacterales, Burkholderiales, and Lactobacillales), which, interestingly, harbor members of both plant and human probiotics.
The composition and function of the human gut microbiota are closely linked to our health during our whole lifespan.
Gut microbiota assembly is a complex process involving microbial seeding and succession driven by ecological forces and subject to environmental conditions.
Microbiome assembly starts during birth, and babies acquire their first microbiota inoculum from their mother and other humans as well as the local environment.
The development of the gut microbiota during early life depends on breast-feeding and environmental exposures and is critical for immune system development and long-term health outcomes.
Related to this, a growing body of evidence has shown that changes in the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota are linked to metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and chronic diseases such as asthma and type 1 diabetes.
Hence, it is of utmost importance to understand the factors influencing the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota.
“The proof that microorganisms from fruits and vegetables can colonize the human gut has now been established for the first time,” said Dr. Wisnu Adi Wicaksono, a researcher with the Institute of Environmental Biotechnology at Graz University of Technology.
“This suggests that the consumption of fruit and vegetables, especially in infancy, has a positive influence on the development of the immune system in the first three or so years of life, as the intestinal microbiome develops during this time. But even after that, a good diversity of gut bacteria is beneficial for health and resilience.”
“It simply…
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