The phrase
"intestinal microbiome" refers to the collection of microorganisms, like bacteria, viruses, and fungi, that live in our intestines. These microorganisms play a vital role in keeping our digestive system healthy and help us break down food, absorb nutrients, and fight off harmful bacteria.
Full definition
To examine the associations of delivery mode and feeding method with
infant intestinal microbiome composition at approximately 6 weeks of life.
The increasing popularity beneficial bacteria supplements known as probiotics for both animals and humans points to the growing public awareness of the importance of a
healthy intestinal microbiome.
A team led by Dan Frank at the University of Colorado Denver took this approach and revealed that specific variants of the NOD2 gene that confer a high risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease to their carriers are also associated with an
altered intestinal microbiome.
KM Tuohy et al., «Up - regulating the
human intestinal microbiome using whole plant foods, polyphenols, and / or fiber,» Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology 12, no 60 (2012): 8776 - 82.
Conclusions and Relevance The infant
intestinal microbiome at approximately 6 weeks of age is significantly associated with both delivery mode and feeding method, and the supplementation of breast milk feeding with formula is associated with a microbiome composition that resembles that of infants who are exclusively formula fed.
Furthermore, a recent and very interesting study found that people
whose intestinal microbiome contained a higher level of particular bacteria that facilitates the breakdown of nitrates were more likely to suffer a migraine attack after eating food that contained them.
The investigators used culture technique to examine the microbiota, and despite its limitations as a means to reflect the
overall intestinal microbiome, there were some interesting findings.
The diarrhea is a definite indicator of gut dysbiosis in the colon, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the
small intestinal microbiome were also a problem.
However, scientists have developed several hypotheses about how aging may alter
the intestinal microbiome and how certain pre - and probiotics may help prevent or reverse these changes.
Association of Cesarean Delivery and Formula Supplementation With
the Intestinal Microbiome of 6 - Week - Old Infants.
We characterized
the intestinal microbiome of 102 6 - week - old infants and observed independent associations between stool microbial community composition, mode of delivery, and feeding method.
In addition, many studies do not take into account the complex interaction of different fatty acid subtypes, such as omega - 3 and omega - 6 fatty acids, on gut inflammation as well as their effect on
the intestinal microbiome.
In addition,
the intestinal microbiome has been shown to play an important role in immune regulation.
As part of the study, they transplanted
the intestinal microbiome from sick animals into the intestines of germ - free mice.
This suggests that
the intestinal microbiome is directly involved in the mechanism of fatty acid action.
Here, cumulative evidence suggests a considerable influence of
the intestinal microbiome on disease emergence and progression.
Since
the intestinal microbiome is an important regulator of gut health and immune function, Grikscheit and her team investigated how surgical treatment of certain pediatric intestinal diseases have a long - term impact on intestinal flora.
The researchers suggest that living in a rural or urban environment may change
the intestinal microbiome, due to different exposures early in life, resulting in decreased or increased risk
In a study of Peruvian ants, Sanders found that some ground - dwelling species seemed to lack
an intestinal microbiome entirely.
Because < 20 % of all gastrointestinal bacteria can be cultured using conventional methodologies, we performed massively parallel pyrosequencing to further assess the qualitative changes in
the intestinal microbiome following alcohol exposure.
To understand the changes in
the intestinal microbiome and bacterial translocation during early stages of liver injury, three mouse models of liver disease were used in two separate studies.
Comparison of microbiome data from the alcohol model, BDL, CCl4, and an obesity model noted that there was no common liver disease microbiome, suggesting that
the intestinal microbiome differs by etiology of liver disease.
Bacterial Translocation and Changes in
the Intestinal Microbiome in Mouse Models of Liver Disease
In the second study, published in J. of Hepatology, intestinal permeability, bacterial translocation, and
the intestinal microbiome were studied in two mouse models of liver disease; cholestasis and toxic liver injury.
Analysis of
the intestinal microbiome, targeting the 16S rRNA gene, revealed minor changes following BDL, but major changes following CCl4.
Since most gut bacteria can not be cultured, we used high - throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess the qualitative changes in
the intestinal microbiome during alcohol feeding.
The aims of this study were to investigate bacterial translocation, changes in
the intestinal microbiome, and expression of intestinal antimicrobial proteins in alcoholic liver disease.
Katri Korpela, Anne Salonen, Lauri J. Virta, Riina A. Kekkonen, Kristoffer Forslund, Peer Bork, Willem M. de Vos:
Intestinal microbiome is related to lifetime antibiotic use in Finnish pre-school children.
DayTwo is using clients»
intestinal microbiome to better ascertain their needs.
The ones I've chosen to highlight are the vitamins and supplements most helpful in accomplishing two important goals: first, supporting the gut - brain - skin axis by nourishing
the intestinal microbiome, and second, giving the body what it needs to maintain healthy skin (and, I should add, healthy hair and nails).
I Shapira et al., «Evolving Concepts: How Diet and
the Intestinal Microbiome Act as Modulators of Breast Malignancy,» ISRN oncology 2013 (2013).
These bacteriocins can kill a variety of yeasts and bacterial pathogens, helping us maintain a healthy
intestinal microbiome, and preventing infections.
Beyond antibiotics, there has been a lot of information provided by scientific researchers demonstrating that acid - blocking medications, similarly, have a negative effect on
the intestinal microbiome.
Given the fact that the microbiome has been a hot topic in the past few years, there have been some baseline studies on critically ill patients in the ICU looking at
their intestinal microbiome.