“The gut microbiota: A brief overview”

By Andrew Chappell, PhD

Key points, the reader should take from this mini review are:

– The microbiota plays a key role in the maintenance of the immune system and development of the gastrointestinal tract.

– The microbiota provides the host with energy through the fermentation of nutrients that escape digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

– There is huge inter-individual variation in the microbiota, and every person has their own microbial finger print .

– Microbial diversity and richness may be important indicators health.

– Disease states are characterised by low bacterial diversity and richness.

– The short chain fatty acid metabolites produced through this fermentation are considered beneficial for health and maintain a low pH within the colon.

– High protein, high fat diets, increase the amount of carcinogenic compounds delivered to the bowel, reduce bacterial diversity, increase the colonic pH and reduce beneficial SCFA metabolites.

– The gut microbiota is susceptible to modulation through the diet, and prebiotics.

– Certain bacteria may be beneficial for health in certain populations, only species with proven health benefits can be licenced as probiotics, currently there are no licenced probiotics in Europe.

– Changes in the gut microbiota is unlikely to lead to obesity and changes in its composition is more likely a consequence rather than a cause.

– AARR Oct 2015