Bacteria, Weight Loss, Transplant-What Relation?

We all have grown up considering bacteria as bad. They cause many kinds of infections like typhoid to tuberculosis. People still die of diarrhea caused by bacteria or virus.

At the same time there are some bacteria which have made a pact with us and live symbiotically. They are called as commensals. They are on our skin as well as mucosa. The mucosa extends from mouth to the anus. Commensals or the good bacteria play many roles. They help us in getting our daily dose of vitamin, especially B complex. They help to keep the growth of fungi in check. When we take antibiotics the commensals can also get killed increasing the risk for fungal infection, B complex deficiency to happen and at times lead to infection from Clostridium difficile, a more serious kind of bacterial infection.

Long back had mentioned in a post about bonding with bacteria about bacteria being harnessed for mutiple benefits including cancer cure. This was about the research of Ananda M Chakrabarty. You can read it here. Will have to write to him to know the current status of his research.

Apparently there are many other myriad, intriguing ways in which the good bacteria help us. Highlighting below some of the recent research findings.

1. Recently had written about gastric bypass surgery also called Bariatric surgery being a potential cure for diabetes in some patients. You can read that post here. When this gastric bypass surgery is done there is change in the gut microbial population. This change in gut micorbiota is considered to be responsible for weight loss! This has been proven in mice by transferring the gut microbiota  to other obese mice which resulted in weight loss and decrease in adiposity.
There is also a strong link between gut microbiota with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

References and further reading:

a) Functional Interactions Between The Gut Microbiota And Host Metabolism.

b) Obesity, Gut Microbiota, Weight Loss, Gastric Bypass Surgery. News article for same can be read here, here, here.

c) Open Access Review Article by Kristina Harris, Amira Kassis, Genevieve Major, Chieh J. Chou.

2. Fecal Transplant? Really? Yes, transferring the donor feces into is more effective for treating recurrent C.difficile infection!

Reference: NEJM, Medscape, 2010

It does seem that nature has far greater mechanism for balance and sustenance of energy! (for lack of better term). There are more than 100 trillion archaeal and bacterial cells in our gut and they represent 1000 different species.

The more we learn the more we know that we do not know!!

I have a personal hypothesis and treatment for gastritis which i will cover in a future post. Also how helminths (worms) have a  good role to play in auto-immune diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohns disease and Ulcerative colitis.

Have a healthy life!!