Importance of Gut Microbiota and its impacts on human health

The term microbiota refers to specific microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi
that are found within a specific environment(Fiosgenomics, 2019). This means that in hu-
mans, we have groups of bacteria in different parts of the body, for example in the gut (gut
microbiota).
Gut Microbiota or also known as gut flora is found in the intestine, it contains tens of tril -
lions of microorganisms (Gut Microbiota for Health), each playing different roles in our
body. Together, they function as an extra organ in our body and play a huge role in our
health(Robertson, 2017).
Some of the functions are, It helps the body to digest certain foods that the stomach and
small intestine have not been able to digest and It helps us combat aggressions from other
microorganisms, and so much more (Gut Microbiota for Health).
Thus this essay aims to find out the importance of the role played by the gut flora by look -
ing at some examples of diseases.

Obesity and Gut Microbiota:

Obesity is a chronic disease, the term obese describes a person who is overweight, with
high levels of body fat. It's a common problem in the UK, and it is estimated to af-
fect around 1 in every 4 adults(NHS, 2019). Gut bacteria play an important role in the diet
that causes obesity, as the microbiota of people with obesity contains lower proportions
of Bacteroidetes and higher proportions of Firmicutes than those people without obesity,
which this contributes to having greater energy harvested (Muscogiuri, 2019).
Bacteroidetes are gram-negative bacteria that ferment polysaccharides, digest hard carbo-
hydrates and produce short-chain fatty acids that have many beneficial effects in the gut
(Birg, 2019). Firmicutes, on the other hand, make up the largest portion of the hu-
man gut microbiome, moreover, Firmicutes as part of the gut flora is involved in energy re-
sorption (Paul, 2019).
There is evidence from a research study which suggested that the gut microbiome plays a
key role in the development of obesity, with interactions between the microbiota and the
diet. One research carried out by, Wostman’s group in 1980, observed that germ-free mice
required higher energy intakes to reach a target body mass than the wild mice did. How-
ever, it was found that there was 47% larger total fat mass in wild than in germ-free mice
(Muscogiuri, 2019). Thus the germ-free mice got thinner and did not reach its target body
mass when it was given a high fat diet (Zhang, 2015). Therefore, this means that, the high
fat diet altered the composition of bacteria and instead there were higher levels of Firmi-
cutes  and lower levels of Bacteroidetes, indicating that obesity may be associated with
changes in the composition of the gut bacteria, suggesting that there is a tight association
between the gut microbiota and the body weight regulation. Furthermore, another research
was carried out by Lund University in Sweden, they analysed blood plasma and stool
samples from 674 participants in the Malmö Offspring Study. They found 19 different me-
tabolites that could be linked to the person’s BMI, such as Dorea and SHA98 (Sci-
enceDaily,2018). This again proves that there is a link for sure between gut bacteria and
obesity.

Cardiovascular disease and Gut Microbiota:

Cardiovascular disease is a term for a condition that affects the heart or blood vessels. It is
associated with the build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries, which leads to having a
high risk of a blood clot (NHS, 2018).
The food we eat is converted into various active compounds by the gut microbiota which
this affects our heart. This is because, the gut flora, facilitates monosaccharides absorp-
tion, and forms Trimethylamine N-oxide, a chemical that blocks arteries(Khan,2014). Cer -
tain bacterias within the gut microbiome convert choline and L-carnitine, both of which are
found in animal-based food sources, to Trimethylamine N-oxide, increasing risk factors for
heart disease which may lead to heart attacks or stroke. However on the positive side
other bacterias within the gut microbiome, for example, Lactobacilli, help reduce choles-
terol when taken as a probiotic (Robertson, 2017) (live bacteria). You can find probiotics in
supplements and some foods, like the yoghurt (WebMD 2005-2019).

Cancer and Gut Microbiota:

Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific part of the body grow and reproduce uncon-
trollably. The cancerous cells can invade and destroy surrounding healthy tissues, includ-
ing organs. It is estimated that in the UK, 1 in 2 people will develop some form of cancer
during their lifetime (NHS, 2019).
Microbes play an important role in influencing our cancer risk. Microbes and cancer cells
coevolve inside our bodies, and both rely on food for their survival. This means whether or
not, what we eat has excess amount of energy, nutrients or vitamins, it still can affect the
growth of cancer cells (Whisner, C.M. & Athena Aktipis, C. 2019).
The presence of microbiota in the intestinal bacterial community contributes to the devel-
opment of cancers, for example, gastrointestinal cancer or also known as Gastric cancer.
Gastrointestinal cancer is a term for a group of cancers that affect the digestive system (GI
Cancer Institute, 2017). Commensal bacteria found in the gut was recognised as an impor-
tant cofactor in gastric cancer. The gut bacteria can trigger macrophages (white blood cell)
to produce diffusible clastogens. A clastogen is a chemical that can cause breaks in chro -
mosomes, leading to sections of the chromosome is deleted, added, or rearranged
(Beedanagari, S. 2014). This means that gene deletions are responsible for initiating can -
cer progression.
Conclusion:
The gut microbiota appears to contribute to the development of many diseases, as it has
been found to be involved in diseases, such as obesity, cancer and cardiovascular dis-
ease. Moreover the gut flora, can also be influenced by a factor such as diet, as what we
eat can lead to the progression of the disease. However, many more questions remain to
be answered and there is many research going in this area, seeking to know the link be -
tween the interactions of the diseases, the microbiota and its development. But, one thing
is for sure that researchers have realised that the gut microbiota is related to humans and
plays a crucial role in human health and disease.

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