Study Links Industrialization to Loss of 600 Gut Bacterial Species
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 7
Study Links Industrialization to Loss of 600 Gut Bacterial Species
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 7
Summary
More than 600 gut bacterial species once common in humans are now rare or absent in most industrialized societies, researchers reported in a Nature study of African and South American populations.
The team said the human microbiome had remained relatively stable for tens of thousands of years before changing rapidly with industrialization, suggesting a sharp recent break rather than gradual evolution.
Justin Sonnenburg of Stanford, a study author, said many of the missing microbes may have benefited health and that their disappearance could be tied to disorders more common in industrialized countries, including allergies and dementia.
The findings build on evidence from Hadza and Tsimane populations that a diverse ancestral microbiome co-migrated with humans for millennia, underscoring how modern lifestyles may have stripped away long-standing microbial partners.