A new study has determined that the state of malnutrition, which is a condition that occurs across populations, may be influenced by the microbiome. In a series of experiments, a researchers took samples from healthy children and transferred them to mice. These mice developed normally and did not show any signs of stunting which is a common condition caused from malnutrition. Alternatively, fecal samples from stunted children were transferred to germ free mice. Interestingly, these mice develop slow growth and stunting like the children the samples came from. The conclusion from this study is that the species of bacteria that make up the microbiome contribute to the effects of malnutrition. It is assumed that nutritious foods can be made with the healthy bacteria species and may one day help prevent the long-term effects of malnutrition.
Persistent gut microbiota immaturity in malnourished Bangladeshi children. Nature, Vol. 510, No. 7505. (19 June 2014), pp. 417-421 by Sathish Subramanian, Sayeeda Huq, Tanya Yatsunenko, et al. http://www.citeulike.org/user/kimberlykramer2015/article/13939625
The right gut microbes help infants grow. Elizabeth Penissi. Science. February 18, 2016. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/02/right-gut-microbes-help-infants-grow
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please let me know what you think or what you want to know more about!