Improving the gut microbiome is the important thing to maintaining one’s overall health and well-being. Nevertheless, the composition of the microbiome depends mainly on what an individual eats, a latest study has found.

The gut microbiota consists of a community of trillions of microorganisms that lives within the human gut. Earlier studies have shown that the abundance of certain microorganisms is related to certain conditions equivalent to inflammatory bowel diseases, obesity and diabetes and even psychological disorders.

The microbiota is seeded during birth, and the composition is later determined by several other internal and external aspects including eating regimen, genetics, medication, exercise and defense molecules.

The defensins are the biggest group of antimicrobial peptides that function as the primary line of defense against infections. They’re produced by all body surfaces, including the skin, the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract. Other than fighting infections, defensins are also essential in shaping the microbiota composition within the small intestine.

Nevertheless, the role of defensins on microbiota compared to the eating regimen was not researched to this point, prompting the research team from Umeå University, Sweden to take up the study.

The study, which was published within the journal Microbiology Spectrum, evaluated the microbiota composition of normal healthy mice to mice that would not produce functional defensins within the gut. Each the groups were then fed either a healthy eating regimen or a low-fiber Western-style eating regimen.

The research team determined that although several aspects shape the adult microbiota, the eating regimen has more impact than defensins, the intestinal defense molecules produced by the body.

“Once we analyzed the microbiota composition contained in the gut and on the gut wall of two different regions within the small intestine, we were surprised — and barely upset — that defensins had only a really minor effect on shaping the general microbiota composition,” study co-author Björn Schröder, the principal investigator in Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden in Umeå University, said in a news release.

The research team said the role of defensins stays significant for its protective role against metabolic complications from the “Western eating regimen.”

“To our surprise, we also found that the mix of eating a Western-style eating regimen and lacking functional defensins led to increased fasting blood glucose values, which indicated that defensins may help to guard against metabolic disorders when eating an unhealthy eating regimen,” Schröder added.

“While the effect of defensins in shaping the adult microbiota composition is quite minor compared to eating regimen, defensins still have a vital role in protecting us against microbial infections; and our research highlights their protective role against the metabolic complications that may arise after the intake of a high-fat and high-sugar Western-style eating regimen,” study co-author Fabiola Puértolas Balint, a doctoral student who works in Schröder’s research group, explained within the news release.

Although several aspects shape the adult microbiota, the eating regimen has more impact.
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Need To Improve Your Gut Microbiota? What You Eat Influences More Than Intestinal Defense Molecules

Published by Medicaldaily.com