What choices do you make in terms of food/nutrition/product use and consumption that may have an impact on your microbial communities? Consider choices that are intentional, and choices that are perhaps non-intentional.
All of the choices I make in terms of food, nutrition, and product use and consumption that may have an impact on my microbial communities are non-intentional as I was not aware of the adverse effects our microbiome can have on health. Throughout my time at college, almost four years now, all of my choices have been largely influenced by social factors such as socioeconomic status and time constraints. I have worked full or part-time while taking classes full-time and it is very easy to skip meals or eat quick, easily made meals. Cost greatly impacts my food decisions as well; eating healthy happens to be much more expensive. While individuals have varying diversity of gut microbes, a Western diet may select for certain bacteria. More specifically, I eat dairy products such as cheddar and cottage cheese and yogurt that contain lactic acid bacteria which are associated with increased gut microbial diversity. I also eat asparagus, beans, onions, and wheat which are sources of naturally occurring prebiotics (1). An example of unintentional product use impacting my microbial communities that I practice is non-use of laxatives. Bowel-cleansing washes out fecal luminal content with a substantial reduction in intestinal bacteria (2).
A balance between introducing microbes to increase diversity and alteration of present symbiosis seems as if it can result in dysbiosis. At what point is modifying gut microbial communities through dietary changes by introducing a diverse range of nutrient sources to contribute to a more diverse community result in dysbiosis by potentially altering the overall load, proportions and present diversity? Moreover, how does microbial community stability affect attempts to introduce diversity?1.
- Slavin J. 2013. Fiber and Prebiotics: Mechanisms and Health Benefits. Nutrients 5:1417–1435.
- Stavrou G. 2016. Gut microbiome, surgical complications and probiotics. Annals of Gastroenterology.
