In this blog post, I will discuss the non-infectious diseases that are influenced by microorganisms. Firstly, according to Bull and Plummer, a few of these diseases are Crohn’s disease (CD), obesity, type II diabetes, atopy, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis (UC), etc. Secondly, disturbance in human microbiota is also correlated with atherosclerosis and liver diseases.
Based on these examples provided able, I see that microorganisms are crucial in keeping us healthy. The gut microbiota is partly responsible for the digestion of food. The bacteria in the gut microbiota provide the metabolism of nutrients that the digestive organs alone could not complete. Therefore, any disturbance in the gut microbiota is the root of the many diseases of the digestive organs. This disturbance shows the most effects on the gastrointestinal tract, with Crohn’s disease being the prime example. Crohn’s disease, as pointed out by Pascal et al., is an inflammatory bowel disease subtype, which is caused by imbalanced gut microbiota. An analysis of people with Crohn’s disease shows that there are less diversity and stability in these people compared to their unaffected peers.
In addition, I find it surprising that this disturbance also affects the circulatory system. Atherosclerosis is a disease caused by plaque buildups in the arteries. These buildups block blood circulation and create thrombi or blood clots. The American Heart Association designates diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels as risks for atherosclerosis. I can see that metabolism issues, which are influenced by the gut microbiota, could cause further complications with other organs. Atherosclerosis can lead to heart diseases and death; therefore, the human microbiota also serves a crucial function in keeping us alive.
In conclusion, it is not just the infectious diseases that we have to care about. The small changes within our microbiota could very much be influential to our general health and well-being; and therefore, we must take care of them for the sake of our own health.
