Got the Guts to Learn What’s Happening Inside Your Guts?

Home of the Microbes

The human microbiome is a wonder to study about! Think about it: Microbes live rent free inside your stomach! It is no question that there are more microbial cells than actual human cells inside of our bodies. As mentioned in class, we learned about many of the great advantages of the human microbiome. For example, some microbes inside of your intestines are able to break down carbohydrates that enzymes normally produced by the intestines are not able to do. In addition, these microorganisms can defend our bodies against pathogens by acting as competitors for nutrients and blocking attachment sites that pathogens aim for. These are a few of the many tasks that they carry out inside of our bodies. Therefore, it is VITAL that the human microbiome is kept in check and is not disrupted.

Constant Changes

According to an article from Medical News Bulletin, the type of species and the amount of that particular species present in the gut microbiome can suggest whether that individual is diabetic or not. Certain species of the Lactobacillus family are more common within the gut microbiome of an individual who has type 2 diabetes than others. Moreover, the number of L. gasseri, L. acidophilus, and L.salivarius discovered in the guts appeared to be far greater compared to other species in the Lactobacillus family. Bacteria that are classified as part of families, such as Bifidobacterium, Roseburia, Bacteroides, and Faecalibacterium, may be seen in fewer numbers in non-diabetic individuals. In this case, less is also better. It has been shown that if there is an increase in a particular species of Bifidobacterium bacteria, then the level of blood sugar may drop below normal because more glucose is removed from the blood by the influence of this type of bacteria.

It appears to me that there is some sort of disruption in the gut microbiome of individuals that are diabetic. Moreover, the different amounts and kinds of bacteria that are found in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals seem to serve as some sort of evidence of this idea. While type 2 diabetes may be hereditary, these disruptions may also be attributed to certain types of foods that people intake and that are a part of their diets. As mentioned in class, it is possible to introduce different microbes into the human body, such as through fecal transplants. If the introduction of microorganisms that help defend the body from type 2 diabetes is possible in any way (if it has not been done already), I think that it would be a great step for humankind!

“Communicable” Noncommunicable Diseases

In addition, according to an article from Live Science news website, several researchers have dedicated their time into looking into whether or not diseases that are not normally transmissible can actually be spread to other people. Diseases that are considered noncommunicable include cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, to name a few. You may be wondering, “well how can a noncommunicable disease be communicable?” The answer to that question is linked to what is known as the microbiome. As mentioned with our discussion of diabetes above, the human gut microbiome can vary in quantity and types of bacterial species depending on what disease the individual is diagnosed with, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Moreover, it may be possible that if certain microbes that were more likely associated with a disease were to come into contact with people who had otherwise normal microbiomes, then it could potentially disrupt the microbiomes of the healthy individuals. Another interesting finding is that partners had a lot in common in regards to their microbiomes. In fact, it has been reported that if one of the partners in a relationship had previously been recognized with a illness (such as diabetes), then the other individual is more likely than normal to be diagnosed with the same illness as well. Who knew that could be possible!

While the extent to which the human microbiome can influence noncommunicable diseases is still up in the air, I believe it is interesting to think about the power that our gut microorganisms have on our bodies. It is quite fascinating – and often daunting – that these tiny organisms can have some sort of influence on whether we get sick or not. It is important to note that the microorganisms that make up the microbiome are NOT the only factors that dictate whether or not someone gets ill. Influences from the environment and genetics are also important to keep in mind. Since there are so many determinants to consider, the hardest part of this research will be to find out whether one type of influence is more dominant than another.

There is still much to be discovered concerning the microorganisms that inhabit the human body. Many of these organisms seem to hold more than just one role in influencing our bodily functions. This contributes to the complexity of these small entities in the already complex human body system. This will definitely be a topic of debate for years to come in the scientific community. Be thankful for the good microbes hard at work inside your body!