Does our gut microbiota really influence our health and life expectancy?
Certain factors can disrupt the gut microbiota. These include our diet, alcohol consumption, antibiotics and inflammatory bowel disease. (Shutterstock) Éloi Gagnon , Université Laval and Benoit Arsenault , Université Laval The intestinal microbiota is the set of bacteria and viruses that live inside your gut. Microbiota perform a variety of functions, including digesting food and protecting against specific pathogens. There are several things that can disrupt the gut microbiota , including diet, alcohol consumption, antibiotics and inflammatory bowel disease. These cause imbalances, known as “dysbiosis” which, in turn, are associated with a wide array of chronic diseases . In the last decade, the results of hundreds of studies in animal models have suggested that gut dysbiosis may play a role in several metabolic disturbances. Furthermore, in rodents, the implantation of certain bacteria could influence weight and metabolic profile . ...
