Inextricable Linkage Between Bad Bacteria

Gram negative and gram positive bacteria differ from each other in many ways especially in the composition and size of their cell walls. Unlike Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria have a thin peptidoglycan layer surround by an outer membrane. This outer membrane contains many proteins one of them being lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which contributes to the bacteria’s negative charge. One part of this protein is a lipid, called Lipid A, which is considered an endotoxin because this lipid triggers an immune response stimulating fever

These are some of the proposed functions of our microbiome. First of all, scientists have known for years that gut bacteria break down certain components of good that would otherwise be indigestible and would pass out of the body unused. In addition, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron breaks down carbohydrate, also capable of breaking down the large, complex carbohydrates found in plant. It also has genes that code for more than 260 enzymes capable of digesting plant matter. Helicobacter Pylori is a disease-causing bacterium, however, H. pylori benefits the body by helping to regulate levels of stomach acids, thus creating an environment that suits itself and it host, and surprisingly, plays a role in regulating two hormones in appetite (ghrelin). This function greatly help most children in the U.S. to prevent overproduction of fat cells. Sadly, many children are exposed to antibiotic treatments, has caused alterations in the compositions of their intestinal microbiome. This caused the rising of childhood obesity, and overproduction of

It is no secret that many Americans struggle with obesity. Claudia Wallis wrote an article titled How Gut Bacteria Help Make Us Fat and Thin just over a year ago, which explores how intestinal bacteria may determine if a person is obese or thin. New research has indicated that gut bacteria alters the way we store fat, how we respond to the hormones that make us feel full or hungry, and the way our glucose levels are balanced. The wrong mix of microbes may lead the way for a person be obese or diabetic.

Dietary fiber is a source of carbohydrate that has benefits for intestinal health. It plays a role in the prevention of disease in the intestine and even throughout the body, such as obesity, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (10). Furthermore, when the bacteria in the gut ferment the fiber, metabolites are produced, which benefit the body. Short chain fatty acids are one major end product of this carbohydrate metabolism, which act to lower the colon’s pH, inhibiting pathogenic bacteria from growing. Some other metabolites include lactate, succinate and formate. Lactate is converted to butyrate by the bacteria in the gut, which induces mucin synthesis, which is a glycoprotein that maintains the gut epithelium integrity. Butyrate also acts to prevent bacterial transport across the epithelium and increases tight junction assembly (11). What this means, is that the fermentation of fiber allows these beneficial metabolites to be produced, causing a cascade of reactions that promote health and gut integrity. This shows the complex beneficial interaction between gut microbiota and fiber intake and its role in promoting health.

The research in this article focuses on gut bacteria found in people from different cultures and how this can negatively impact us. At the end of the article, Zimmer explains that Americans, residing in a western society, have microbes in the gut that attack the body. He explains that this is because of the carbohydrates attacking the body when not given enough dietary fiber. This problem is not found in foraging cultures because of their seasonally changing food source which positively impacts their body. This is an important discovery of gut bacteria in western culture because now researchers can underscore the importance of dietary fiber in modern industrialized societies with enough evidence to back up their claims. This can also provide insight on how diets in western societies can adapt and change to improve the health and well-being of its people.

The effect of different diets on the gut microbiome has been studied greatly in mice and to a lesser extent in humans to assess the effect that dietary composition has on the gut micro-biome. It has been suggested that increased efficiency of energy harvest due to changes in the gut microbiota with an increase in Firmicutes and decrease Bacteroidetes bacteria, occurs in obesity in mice and humans.4 A study performed by Murphy et al looked at the effect of a high-fat (HF) diet and genetic obesity (ob/ob) for changes in gut microbiota and the amount of energy harvested from food over time.4 Ob/ob mice were fed a low-fat diet and wild-type mice were fed either a low-fat or HF-diet for 8 weeks. Results indicated an increase in Firmicutes bacteria in both mice fed a HF diet as well as ob/ob mice, but Firmicutes bacteria did not change over time in the lean control mice. A reduction in Bacteroidetes bacteria was also found in ob/ob mice.4

The gut microbiome supplies the human host with metabolic capabilities beyond those encoded by its own genome (Khan et al., 2014). Because host metabolism is effectively regulated by the amalgamation of host and microbial genes (Khan et al., 2014), we should expect the gut microbiota to play a fundamental role in the health of its host. A compendium of research evidence demonstrates a compelling link between obesity and gut microbial composition. The connection between obesity and the gut microbiota is illustrated in the effects of diet on microbial diversity, the association of host genotype with microbial plasticity, the correlation of microbial diversity and metabolic disease, and the modulation of host metabolism by gut

Gut microbiome is one of the densest, most dynamic, and complex microorganism populations located in the body (Costa et al., 2012). Gut microbes act against transient pathogens, aid in digestion and absorption, stimulate the immune system, and support enteroctyes (Suchodoiski et al., 2012). Gut microbiome population differs between species, individuals, and organs (Fraga et al., 2011). It is noted that there are one billion microbes from one drop of cecal fluid, consisting of anaerobic microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and archae (Fraga et al., 2012). If these microbes are changed, this could result in gastrointestinal disease and even death. Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium difficle, Escherichia coli general and K-12, and Streptococcus bovis/equinus complex (SBEC) are common bacteria found in the microbiome of the hindgut. These strains are considered opportunistic bacteria, and if the immune system becomes compromised by changes to the hindgut microbiome, this will trigger proliferation of harmful and opportunistic bacteria that can cause numerous gastrointestinal

In this study, the authors sought to examine the impact of certain gut microbes on body composition and metabolism. It has been previously reported that the microbial community composition is more similar between related individuals. Thus, the authors of this study used both monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs that were “discordant” for obesity in that one of them was classified as obese while the other one was not, as a model for studying the correlation between gut microbiota and obesity and associated disorders. To do this, human fecal`microbes from each member of one of four discordant twin pairs was transplanted into mice that were germ-free. The authors also investigated which microbial taxa were more invasive, as well as the relationship between the phenotype of the host and invasiveness. They also examined how a human diet can impact on invasion and microbial niche. In order to examine this, mice that were coprophagic, meaning they consume fecal matter, were housed together.

Antibiotics treat bacteria infections by killing or injuring the bacteria, however, some may become resistant. One way to fight organisms is by using a broad-spectrum antibacterial that targets both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. (Burcham1086). Gram-positive bacteria consist of a thick cell wall and are susceptible to antibiotics while gram-negative bacteria are more resistance due to their thin, bulletproof like wall. (Schaalje1). Fluoroquinolones are used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections because they do not disrupt the cell wall or protein synthesis. (Burcham1086). Recommended for community-acquired pneumonia and chronic bronchitis treatment, fluorquinolones are also used for urinary tract infections and sinusitis

A number of studies, predominantly conducted in mice, have established a link between gut microbiota and obesity and have documented that a change in gut bacteria can have an effect on body weight. A 2004 study by Bäckhed et al. study was one of the earliest studies done on this topic and provided some of the first evidence that gut microbiota may play a role in energy balance and subsequently obesity.6 Conventionally raised mice were fed a polysaccharide rich diet and gained 40% more weight than germ-free mice fed the same diet.6 When gut bacteria from the conventionally raised mice was transplanted into the germ-free mice, the germ-free mice experienced a 60% weight gain in 2 weeks despite reduced food intake.6 Researchers attribute the weight

It is clear that the role of the gut bacteria to our fitness cannot be underestimated; however, one may argue that complexity of this topic still does not reform our

The area of human gut microbiomics is rather new, but it represents the largest amount of DNA in the human body. Numerous studies are still underway and specifically, in regards to the neonatal gut, it is still unclear how certain bacteria would promote or help prevent the apparition of disease. (1)

The condition of your gut and intestine will affect the level of health you enjoy.