Chris Simms at New Scientist:
We often hear talk of things being good for our microbiome, and in turn, good for our health. But it wasn’t entirely clear what a healthy gut microbiome consisted of. Now, a study of more than 34,000 people has edged us closer towards understanding the mixes of microbes that reliably signal we have low inflammation, good immunity and healthy cholesterol levels.
Your gut microbiome can influence your immune system, rate of ageing and your risk of poor mental health. Despite a profusion of home tests promising to reveal the make-up of your gut community, their usefulness has been debated, because it is hard to pin down what a “good” microbial mix is.
Previous measures mainly looked at species diversity, with a greater array of bacteria being better.
More here.
Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now.