NBC NEWS – Eating more fiber, which is found in whole grains, vegetables and fruits, might help protect against dangerous bacteria in the gut.
After analyzing samples from the gut microbiomes of more than 12,000 people hailing from 45 countries, researchers determined that people with high levels of a certain type of beneficial bacteria known as Faecalibacterium were more likely to have low levels of potentially fatal bacteria such as E. coli, according to the report published this month in Nature Microbiology.
The researchers also found that samples with high levels of Faecalibacterium had high levels of beneficial compounds called short-chain fatty acids, which are a byproduct from the breakdown of fiber. Research has indicated that having reduced levels of this type of bacteria is linked to inflammatory bowel or gastrointestinal conditions.
“The main takeaway from our study is that our gut microbiome plays an important role in reducing the growth of potentially harmful bacteria in our gut, and it seems this effect may be modulated through diet,” the study’s principle investigator, Alexandre Almeida, a research fellow at Cambridge University, told NBC News in an email.
The gut microbiome is a collection of microbes including bacteria, fungi and viruses that dwell in the gastrointestinal tract. Gut microbiomes vary from person to person.
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The new findings suggest that eating high-fiber foods such as vegetables, beans and grains might help protect against harmful bacteria, he added.
“This is an impressive analysis,” said Dr. Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health …