From reading around the internet I can glean things such as Christensenellaceae bacteria are associated with being lean whilst Helicobacter pylori can lead to stomach ulcers.
What I’d love to know is if I pay to get my and my family’s gut bacteria analysed might I then be able to work out what pro and pre biotics we should take in order to promote particular good or overwhelm particular bad bacteria.
Does such a list of associations exist from the American gut or British gut research and would I get access to that if I sent off for an analysis?
For example a family member who suffers from hemorrhoids has had improvement from taking kefir plus increasing dietary prebiotics.
If we found that a certain type of bacteria is common within populations who have hemorrhoids, perhaps we could target a good bacteria known to overwhelm the bad ones that could be causing them?
All very exciting. Many thanks if anyone knows.
-
-
Research is very much ongoing: for some microbes ratio to other symbiotic microbes may be relevant. Also location (SIBO or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Overall the greater the diversity the better.
There are books/ blogs by British Gut or American Gut Project researchers.
‘The Diet Myth’ by Prof. Tim Spector is excellent: more involved with the science/ microbiology than ‘Clever Guts Diet.’
Dr Rob Knight ‘Follow Your Gut’ is another Gut Project book. I don’t have it as yet so can’t compare for you.
The ‘Human Food Project’ blog by Jeff Leach is entertaining. IIRC his books are collections of blog posts.
Piles have traditionally been linked to straining/ constipation/ refined low fibre diet. It’s possible specific microbes are the real culprits or stars.
Equally many prebiotics are a type of fibre. Probiotics plus prebiotics often relieves constipation (gently bulking).
HTH!
-
American Gut Project online course if you want to get ‘down and dirty’!