GUT MICROBIOTA AND NUTRITION NEWSLETTER #16
March, 2020
It’s remarkable how one microbe -- an RNA virus between 50 and 200 nanometres in diameter, with crown-like surface projections -- can have such a profound effect on global activities. Over the past days and weeks, the COVID-19 virus has dramatically changed daily life for many of us, as countries double down on preventing its spread.
A pandemic, it turns out, has a way of making our communities’ true priorities clear. And it’s heartening to see that our top priority, when all the usual rhetoric is pushed aside, is health. With the closures and lockdowns and social distancing protocols, we’ve never seen a time when the value of maintaining health has been more clearly demonstrated. And after we live through this, it’s likely that many of us will maintain a heightened awareness of how our ability to do the things we enjoy depends, first and foremost, on having good health.
In this newsletter, as usual, we’ve listed our favourite studies from the literature on gut microbiota, diet, and health. We’ve also added a brief write-up on a timely topic: how ibuprofen could affect the course of COVID-19 infection.
Natasha and Kristina
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Mediterranean diet intervention in overweight and obese subjects lowers plasma cholesterol and causes changes in the gut microbiome and metabolome independently of energy intake
An 8-week intervention study in overweight subjects with cardiovascular risk factors demonstrates that increased adherence to Mediterranean diet pattern (MDP) is linked to changes in gut microbiome composition and function, as well as a reduction in blood cholesterol levels. The subjects with increased adherence had more ‘beneficial’ species, including the fibre-degrading F. prausnitzii, Roseburia, and members of Clostridiales and Lachnospiraceae, which are associated with butyrate production. Foods consistently consumed in the MDP increased urinary urolithins, faecal bile acid degradation, and insulin sensitivity--and these changes were linked with specific microbial taxa.
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Re-initiation of Oral Food Intake Following Enteral Nutrition Alters Oral and Gut Microbiota Communities
Researchers from Japan demonstrate here that re-initiating oral food intake in patients with stroke-related dysphagia receiving enteral nutrition alters the oral and gut microbial community composition and abundance. After resumption of oral feeding, the diversity of both microbiomes increased. These results provide evidence that oral microbiota may directly affect the gut microbiota, and suggest that oral bacteria could affect systemic health through modulation of gut microbiota.
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Recovery of the Gut Microbiota after Antibiotics Depends on Host Diet, Community Context, and Environmental Reservoirs
In a humanized mouse model, a low fibre diet has been shown to exacerbate gut microbiota ‘collapse’ and slow recovery following administration of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. The antibiotic alters both alpha diversity and composition of the bacterial community, with some species becoming extinct. This study (published a few months ago) indicates that a fibre-deficient diet exacerbates the effects of ciprofloxacin on the gut microbiota.
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Effect of fructans, prebiotics and fibres on the human gut microbiome assessed by 16S rRNA-based approaches: a review
This piece comprehensively reviews existing knowledge on the impact of the different dietary fibres, oligosaccharides, and prebiotics on the diversity of the human faecal microbiota, assessed by the most common technique, 16S rRNA gene sequencing technologies. One theme is that people tend to vary widely in their gut microbiota’s response to a specific fibre or prebiotic substance. In addition, key physiological effects of these fibres is discussed.
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Dietary Guidance for Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease from the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Looking for an update on dietary guidelines for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? The International Organization of IBD (IOIBD) has published consensus guidelines based on expert opinion regarding specific dietary components, food groups, and food additives that may be prudent to increase or decrease for patients with IBD in order to control and prevent relapse of IBD.
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Microbiome key opinion leader series: Prof. Francine Marques on diet, gut microbes, and hypertension
Dietary change is an important strategy for those who want to reduce their risk of heart disease. So what do we know about how gut microbes are involved with the effects of diet on cardiovascular health? See this Q&A with a top researcher in this emerging field -- Dr. Francine Marques, Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow and Head of the Hypertension Research Laboratory at the School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Australia.
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Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit 2020 -- The Sessions Replay
Earlier in March, the Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit 2020 was held in Madrid. The coronavirus kept many of the attendees away this year, but luckily many of the sessions were video streamed for remote learning. You can take a look at the session replays here.
Louis B. Free radio show episode on the topic of gut microbiota
Kristina was recently a guest on the Louis B. Free radio show on wfmj.com -- giving an update on all things gut-microbiota-related, from fermented pickles and Sandor Katz to antibiotics probiotic drugs. Listen to the archived show here.
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Should you take ibuprofen if you suspect you have COVID-19 infection?
Health-wise, we are certainly in uncharted territory with the COVID-19 pandemic. But understandably, people want to know what they should do if they have symptoms of coronavirus infection. (Primarily, these symptoms are (1) a dry cough, (2) a fever, and (3) difficulty breathing.)
News headlines have conveyed mixed messages about taking ibuprofen. So should it be taken or not?
An article published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine provided a rationale for why patients with hypertension and diabetes (type 1 and 2) tend to be at increased risk of severe disease and death when they have COVID-19 infection, and suggested because they commonly take angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor drugs they should avoid ibuprofen at all costs.
Then Oliver Verán, the health minister of France (a country with a high number of cases) also indicated that ibuprofen could aggravate COVID-19 infection.
However, the current stance of the World Health Organization is that "Based on currently available information, WHO does not recommend against the use of ibuprofen [for COVID-19 infection]." This is because there are not yet any published clinical or population-based studies on the topic.
With the uncertainty surrounding ibuprofen, the prudent course of action for people who show symptoms is to remain at home and call their doctor or their local health information line before taking ibuprofen--especially for those who take ACE inhibitors for treating diabetes or heart disease.
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