There’s still much to learn about this invisible world, but scientists are gaining knowledge by leaps and bounds thanks to technologies that can not only identify these microbes but also test their functionality.
We do know that we’re losing a considerable amount of species and diversity in our microbial communities.
That’s important because—as this week’s newsletter story shows—certain gut bacteria appear to protect us from disease. In this case, it’s heart disease, which remains the top cause of death in the United States.
This research is both thrilling and dangerous. On the one hand, if we look at how we can influence the proliferation of certain beneficial bacteria, we can save ourselves from disease and suffering.
However, not all scientists are exploring how our lifestyle has both destroyed and can build up lost bacteria. Instead, many studies are aimed at only one thing— the ultimate creation of a patented pill or product that can make companies a lot of money.
While this could be good news in some cases, it bypasses the opportunity to address why we are losing these bacteria and how we can naturally increase their populations.
This week’s newsletter story highlights emerging research related to how the gut microbiome is related to cholesterol—a cardiovascular disease risk factor that most people don’t associate with the state of our gut health.
