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Impact of gut microbial community diversity on health
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In order to test the effects a pure Soylent diet has on gut microbiome diversity, 125 college students will be recruited and given either a control or Soylent diet. Students will submit a stool sample to record their initial gut microbiome diversity (Gordon et al. 2006). This initial test will be used to divide the students into two different groups, low initial gut microbiome diversity and high initial gut microbiome diversity. The low initial gut microbiome diversity group is defined as having 11 or fewer predominant species of bacteria in their gut, while the high initial microbiome diversity group is defined as having 16 or more predominant species of bacteria present in their gut (Crittenden et al. 2002). Individuals who have between
I identified the genus and species of an unknown bacterial culture, #16, and I applied the following knowledge of morphologic, cultural and metabolic characteristics of the unknown microorganism according to the laboratory manual as well as my class notes and power point print outs. I was given an incubated agar slant labeled #16 and a rack of different tests to either examine or perform myself; the tests are as follows: Gram Stain; Nutrient Gelatin Test; Carbohydrate Fermentation; Dextrose, Lactose and Sucrose; IMVIC tests; Citrate, Indole, Mythel-Red and Vogues Proskauer test; as well as a Urease and TSI Test.
In the article, “An Endangered Species in the Stomach” by Martin J. Blaser, he talks about a 60,000 year old bacterium living in the human stomach, named “Helicobacter pylori”. H. pylori was first isolated for investigation in 1982 by Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren. Later researchers discovered that H. pylori was responsible for developing peptic ulcers, breaks in the lining of the stomach, or could also cause stomach cancer. For the past 100 years, there has been decrease in H. pylori bacteria in humans due to the widespread use of antibiotics and improved hygiene. At the same time, the disappearance of H. pylori caused an unexpected rise in the acid reflux disease and a deadly type of esophageal cancer. Making H pylori a vital microorganism to research in order to expand the study of microbiology and its interaction with humans.
In this lab project, the microbiology students were given 2 unknown bacteria in a mixed broth each broth being numbered. The goal of this project is to determine the species of bacteria in the broth. They had to separate and isolate the bacteria from the mixed broth and ran numerous tests to identify the unknown bacteria. The significance of identifying an unknown bacteria is in a clinical setting. Determining the exact bacteria in order to prescribe the right treatment for the patient. This project is significant for a microbiology students because it gives necessary skills to them for future careers relating to clinical and research work.
IDENTIFYING CITROBACTER FREUNDII THROUGH BIOCHEMICAL TESTING. Jebin Jacob November 15th, 14 Naghmeh Hassanzadeh Unknown - 10 Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify an unknown bacterium from a mixed culture, by conducting different biochemical tests. Bacteria are an integral part of our ecosystem.
Although I have never been someone who has taken an interest in reading about nutrition and how it affects our bodies, I really enjoyed the book, Eat Dirt by Josh Axe. The author discusses how he took an interest into leaky gut after his mother was diagnosed with cancer a second time and he created a plan to help her eat healthier in order to improve her health. The plan worked wonders for his mother, although he claims the plan won’t cure her or anyone else in her case it was highly effective. Throughout the book, Axe continues to provide the reader with examples of what his patients have suffered from and how, through changing their eating habits, have improved their lives significantly. After each example of patients, the author informs the reader of what leads to leaky gut and ways to combat it. Each chapter expands on the five ways to combat leaky gut by providing examples on the topics such as, what to eat and what probiotics to take for certain conditions. Throughout his
Gut micorbiota has been a large-scale research in recent years. It is shown that the gut microbiota coevolves with us (Ley et al, 2008). Over 100 trillion of gut microbiota are produce by the body which have an large impact on the immune system, human physiology, metabolism and nutrition (Ley et al, 2006). Disablility of the gut to harbour the community of microbial cells has been linked to gut diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompasing ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, diabetes, obesity (Zhang et al, 2009) and malnutrition (Kau et al, 2011). It is also known as the hidden metabolic 'organ'. The gut produces a variety and complex microbial community which acts an important role in human health. It has been estimated that 1000 bacterial species and 100-fold genes can be found in human gut (Ley et al, 2006). The newborn's digestive tract was sterile, gut microbiota starts to colonised rapidly after birth and continue its evolution throughout life. Enterobacter, Enterococci, Bifidobacteria, Clostridia, Streptococci are the early colonizers. The composition of gut microbiota is unique in each individual, with a small phylogenetic overlap between people. Even in twins they share less than 50% of species phelotype (Turnbaugh et al, 2010). It is shown that there is a stable core microbial colonies in an individual even though it can be influences by aging, diet, environment and health status (Qin et al, 2010).
Rhinehart claims that 90% of his diet is Soylent, and evidenced in a StackShare article by Soylent cofounder John Coogan, a growing number of consumers are beginning to follow suit. However, Soylent lacks long-term testing, has some dissatisfactory side-effects, and its use as a meal replacement is discouraged by the nutritionist
To understand the human gut health and aetiology, the first step is to understand the gastrointestinal (GI) microflora and its distribution through the digestive system [2]. The human GI tract is inhabited by trillions of microorganisms, which together is known as the microbiota [5]. These microorganisms come from both archeal and bacterial domains. Bacteria are the predominant kingdom of organisms and it is composed mainly by five bacterial phyla: Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia [3]. The great majority of mammalian gut microbiota belongs to the three phyla: the Gram-negative anaerobe Bacteroidetes, the Gram-positive Actinobacteria and Firmicutes [5].
Soy is becoming an increasingly popular food commodity in the United States. This plant serves as one of the food industry’s top cheapest products for food manufacturing processes. Soy derives from the soybean, a leguminous plant widely cultivated for its edible seeds. The soybean originated in China, where the plant was widely famed for being used in a variety of foods, especially when acting as an animal protein replacement. During the late 1700s, the soybeans were imported into the United States. At the time, soy’s main purpose was to serve as a cheaper way to feed farm animals. As time progressed, Americans began using soy for their own nutritional benefits. Although many studies prove positive health benefits from this plant, there are lingering concerns pertaining to the safety of soy consumption.
Hats off to bacteria! This article summarizes that bacteria are good for our body and help us function a lot better. Bacteria live in our guts, in our mouths, and on our skin. Overuse of antibiotics has disturbed the bacterial ecosystem, possibly so much that it is irreversible. In 1999 Lawrence Brandt a professor of medicine and surgery at the Albert Einstein College of medicine had success when trying to help a patient combat diarrhea induced by clostridium difficile. A patient developed diarrhea after taking a course of antibiotics for sinusitis; nothing could shake her C.difficile infection. Brandt reasoned the initial antibiotic treatment had killed gut bacteria that promote digestive health; not knowing which strain to replace, he transplanted stool form her husband. That night she reported marked improvement- for the first time in six months. This procedure has helped patients, but hopefully in the future doctors will be able to administer the particular strain of bacteria that is needed. 99% of the bacteria we harbor are resistant to culture in the lab. It was this impossible to study bacteria until the last decade or so, when DNA sequencing techniques allowed researchers to obtain gene sequences from as little as one bacterial cell. With this researchers found that bacteria cells in our bodies outnumber our human cells. Bacterial exposure throughout our lifetime is needed for our wellbeing, thinking, and functioning, contributing to conditions such as diabetes, obesity, allergies, asthma, and atherosclerosis, as well as to anxiety and mood and cognition disorders. These conditions have become more prominent because of our obsession with sanitation has eliminated the exposure to bacteria humans used to routinely get throu...
Dwyer, J. (1999). Convergence of plant-rich and plant-only diets. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70, 620-622.
Society has recently become increasingly obsessed with health and nutrition, as more and more individuals realize that they can dramatically change their quality of life by adjusting their diet and lifestyle. One way that people have tried to pursue a healthier lifestyle, is by removing meat and other animal products from their diets, whether they become a strict vegetarian who eats no animal byproducts, or a lacto-ovo vegetarian who still eats eggs and dairy. As with any other lifestyle, research is always being done to see if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, and so far, the results of vegetarian diets have been encouraging. Vegetarian diets have proven to decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity, and many other health problems. With a little planning and dedication, a vegetarian diet will be healthier and more beneficial than a traditional diet
Growing up in today’s culture offers more convenience than ever before. This fast-paced lifestyle unfortunately leaves little time for most to shop, prepare and enjoy healthy food. Many people find it easier to buy packaged, pre-made or fast food in place of more sustaining foods. In Paleolithic times humans were required to hunt meat, gather and forage vegetables, roots, seeds and nuts to live. These skills served up fare that was full of nutrition and sustenance. Today’s processed and sugar-laden foods offer convenience but at the cost of some health problems. A February 2009 study done by the Department of Medicine in the University of California, San Francisco, shows a remarkable improvement in
Microbes are major key components in both are homes and industrial food preparation. There are number of lactic acid which is a form of bacteria which is a large group of beneficial bacteria used in certain foods while they are getting prepared such as yogurt, cheese, sour cream, butter milk and other type of fermented milk products. Things such as vinegars are produced by bacterial acetic acid fermentation. Yeast is also major use in the making of beer and wine and also for the leaving of breads. This also involves fermentations to convert corn and other vegetable carbohydrates to also make beer, wine or gasohol but also bacteria is the agents of are other foods. Other fermented foods will include things such as soy sauce, olives and cocoa. (Microbes and human life, 2013) Single cell proteins are known as dried cells of microbes which are used in protein supplement shacks. They are also called “novel food” and “minifood”. The production of this requires micro-organisms which then serve as the protein source and then the substrate which is biomass which they grow on them. There are a number of both these sources that we are able to use for the production of single cell protein (SCP). The micro-organisms used belong to the following groups of Algae, Fungi and bacteria. (Slide Share, 2012)
Many Americans are eating unhealthy diets in the typical American style characterized by lack of moderation. This average diet is defined by high contents of red meat and other fatty foods. Eating these types of food, and the following factor of being overweight, can lead to heart disease and other health problems. A vegetarian lifestyle, on the other hand, limits the intake of meat and other fatty animal products and is known to confer a wide range of health benefits. However, there are many different types of vegetarianism. First, there is the semi vegetarian, who is someone who simply limits meat intake to some degree, the lacto-ovovegetarian, who cuts out all meat, but not animal products such as cheese and eggs, and then the vegan, who chooses not to eat any animal products or byproducts such as honey or gelatin. Each type of vegetarianism has specific benefits, all of which outweigh the benefits of the average American’s diet. I am going to look primarily at the benefits of the lacto-ovovegetarian lifestyle. By eating this type of diet, Americans can balance out their food intake with more fruits, vegetables, and grains and create a diet that is healthier overall. A typical vegetarian diet closely matches expert dietary recommendations for healthy eating, being low in saturated fat and high in fiber, complex carbohydrates, and fresh fruit and vegetables (VSUK). A more balanced diet leads to a healthier lifestyle and a longer, happier life. Therefore, more Americans should be eating a vegetarian diet, specifically a lacto-ovovegetarian style.