Unveiling the gut microbiota composition and functionality associated with constipation through meta

[Gondwanaland]

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-10663-w (Free full text)
Unveiling the gut microbiota composition and functionality associated with constipation through metagenomic analyses
Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 9879(2017)

Abstract
Functional constipation (FC) is a gastrointestinal disorder with a high prevalence among the general population. The precise causes of FC are still unknown and are most likely multifactorial. Growing evidence indicates that alterations of gut microbiota composition contribute to constipation symptoms. Nevertheless, many discrepancies exist in literature and no clear link between FC and gut microbiota composition has as yet been identified. In this study, we performed 16 S rRNA-based microbial profiling analysis of 147 stool samples from 68 FC individuals and compared their microbial profiles with those of 79 healthy subjects (HS). Notably, the gut microbiota of FC individuals was shown to be depleted of members belonging to Bacteroides, Roseburia and Coprococcus 3. Furthermore, the metabolic capabilities of the gut microbiomes of five FC and five HS individuals were evaluated through shotgun metagenomics using a MiSeq platform, indicating that HS are enriched in pathways involved in carbohydrate, fatty acid and lipid metabolism as compared to FC. In contrast, the microbiomes corresponding to FC were shown to exhibit high abundance of genes involved in hydrogen production, methanogenesis and glycerol degradation. The identified differences in bacterial composition and metabolic capabilities may play an important role in development of FC symptoms.

 

[drob31]

Theory: Pathogenic gut bacteria produce proteins that match our own through molecular mimicry. When you eat anything that this bacteria will feed on, your symptoms get worse? This theory would explain why food makes you feel worse (certain foods).