Page 41 - FoodFocusThailand No.173 August 2020

STRATEGIC R&D
STRATEGIC R&D
STRATEGIC R&D
Gut Health Changes in Intestinal Microbial
Composition The types and quantity of gut microbes
are ever-changing as per different stages of life. The
variations depend on acquired nutrients, administered
antibiotics, and illnesses such as ulcerative colitis,
metabolism-related conditions, and autism spectrum
The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) is important to human health disorder.
Antibiotics can have huge implications on the
as it acts as a pathway that transports food from mouth to the intestinal microbial composition. For example,
stomach and the intestines where the aliment is broken down into ciprofloxacin, which inhibits bacterial topoisomerase,
can undermine the diversity and size of the gut bacterial
absorbable nutrients. The energy is then absorbed into the body microbiome within 3-4 days.
while the undigested components are expelled as body waste.
According to scientists, the gastrointestinal system plays a very The Relationship between Diabetes and
Gut Microbiota Primary diabetes can be classified
vital role and is extraordinarily complex in and of itself. It is linked as Type 1 and Type 2. Type-1 diabetes, which accounts
to multiple health contexts, not only in terms of the digestive for 10% of the total diabetic patients, occurs when the
functions but also the immune system, emotional stress, and body fails to produce a sufficient level of insulin. The
chronic illnesses such as cancer or diabetes. remaining 90% of the patients suffer from Type 2
diabetes that involves abnormal metabolism caused by
insulin resistance – a condition in which the body cannot
Microorganisms and Gut Health Microorganisms inhabit the five following make use of insulin as needed. Insulin resistance is
sites of a healthy human body: respiratory tract, skin, oral cavity, GI tract, and vagina. associated with obesity. According to academic studies,
The greatest number of microbes generally known as microbiota, which include bacteria, intestinal microbiome can significantly prompt the
viruses, fungi, and protozoa, can be found in the intestines. Bacteria are the most prevalent occurrence of both types of diabetes.
gut microbiota and can make up to over 1,000 species. Their cells can account for more Several studies claim that short chain fatty acids
than the total cells of the human body. People with poor health are found to have a scant (SCFAs) may induce Type 2 diabetes (T2D). T2D
microbial diversity in the intestines in comparison with healthy counterparts. Moreover, patients are found to have less SCFAs-generating
gut health is also associated with neurological conditions such as depression, dementia, microbes than normal people. SCFAs play a crucial role
and obesity. in stimulating the metabolism of fat and glucose.
How Do Humans Acquire Microbiota? A fetus in the womb is free of Changing lifestyles substantially contribute to a higher
microorganisms, but it will acquire microbiota from the mother’s vagina during the delivery number of diabetic patients in the United States. In the
process. Infants delivered via caesarean section obtain microbiota from skin. A greater past 50 years, there has been an escalation in the usage
and more diverse intestinal microbiome will be developed during the growth phase. These of antibiotics as well as the consumption of sugar and
changes, however, may vary in accordance with the types of food, such as breast milk fats. This antibiotic-related phenomenon has undercut
or other food supplements, the infants receive in later stages. the diversity of intestinal microbiota. T2D patients have
less gut flora that are capable of digesting and converting

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