Eating Or Drinking Affects Intestinal Bacteria And Would Likely Have A Strong Impact On Your Health

The findings of the researchers from the University of Groningen show that everything you eat or drink affects your intestinal bacteria. This would have a strong impact on your health.

Science Daily reports that the study was led by Cisca Wijmenga, RUG/UMCG geneticist. It was printed in the research journal Science last Friday.

The study is focused on a group of normal people wherein the researchers studied their gut or stomach DNA in detail. They gathered stool samples from over 1100 people, who are taking part in the Lifelines programme. This monitors the health of 165,000 residents of the Northern Netherlands. The researchers evaluated the DNA of the bacteria and another organism that live in the stomach using the collected stool samples. They also gathered information about the diet, health and medicine use of the participants.

The results showed that about 60 dietary factors influence the diversity. Alexandria Zhernakova, the UMCG researcher said that there is a good correlation between diversity and health. She further said that the greater the diversity the better.

Wijmenga cited examples on the effect of diet in the gut. People who eat yogurt and buttermilk regularly have a greater diversity or range of gut bacteria as well as with coffee and wine. On the other hand, whole milk or a high-calorie food can reduce the gut bacteria.

They also found out that at least 19 different types of medicine have an impact on microbiome diversity. In an earlier study, it showed that antacids reduce the diversity. The diabetes drug metformin and antibiotics have an effect too. Wijmenga said that disease often occurs as the result of factors such as genes or age. These things cannot be changed but you can change the diversity of your microbiome through adjusting your diet or medication.

Everyday Health states the benefits of gut bacteria. According to a study that was printed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science the gut bacterium A.muciniphila play a key role to develop the new treatment for obesity, Type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders. It also promotes appetite suppression that involves exercises. Some findings of other studies showed that the exposure to normal GI tract bacteria earlier in life may safeguard you from autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, allergies, Crohn's disease, asthma and lupus. It will also make babies grow faster.