Microorganisms are a part of us. Some are beneficial and help us produce vitamins, while others can cause diseases. Some are residents, and others are just passing through.
Preserving human health involves maintaining a balance between these microorganisms and us. The intestinal microbiota, in particular, plays a fundamental role in this task, as most of the microorganisms that inhabit our bodies reside there.
It proactively works for human well-being, acting in various biological processes and protecting us from the establishment of diseases.
Can you imagine that the intestinal microbial community comprises approximately 100 trillion microorganisms?
For this reason, the scientific community focuses on the human microbiota, seeking to understand our relationship with these microorganisms deeply.
Who are they, what do they do, and what happens when a population increases or decreases?
These are questions that science wants to unravel. The goal is to develop diagnostics based on the microbiome and personalized treatments.
Microbiota and disease
Dysbiosis, the term for microbiota imbalance, contributes to various diseases. Changes can occur in response to internal and external factors.
Modern lifestyle, for example, affects the diversity of various intestinal microbiota genera, leading to an increased incidence of chronic metabolic disorders. This fact occurs due to improved hygiene conditions impacting the immune system. But that's not all!
A diet rich in fat and animal protein and a low intake of plant fibers, reflecting Western customs, leads to the development of abnormal microbiota that generates a chronic inflammatory environment and insulin resistance. As a result, there is a higher likelihood of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The prolonged use of antibiotics also contributes to these changes. Evidence suggests that their use in childhood, for example, can alter the intestinal microbiota. These changes, in turn, may be related to an increased prevalence of early onset obesity.
Other diseases also seem to be related to dysbiosis: cardio metabolic diseases such as atherosclerosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, respiratory diseases such as asthma, neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's, and even some forms of cancer.
Therapeutic interventions
Currently, there are several strategies to restore the microbiota. We can divide them into two categories: without specific targets and with specific targets:
WITHOUT SPECIFIC TARGET, which includes exercise, diets, faecal microbiota transplantation, and the use of probiotics;
WITH SPECIFIC TARGET, such as therapies with genetically modified microorganisms, phages, CRISPR-Cas, and drugs that act on specific microbial metabolisms.
Probiotics
Unlike many of these modern interventions, the use of probiotics to promote human health began over a hundred years ago. Elie Metchnikoff, a Russian microbiologist, suggested the consumption of yoghurt because he knew of beneficial bacteria in this food.
It was in 1954 that the term "probiotic" was introduced into medical terminology by Ferdinand Vergin. Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus have long been known for their positive impacts on the stability of the intestinal microbiota. By colonizing the intestines, these microorganisms make it difficult for pathogens to establish themselves by competing for nutrients and blocking adhesion sites.
Another strategy is the production of substances such as organic acids, short-chain fatty acids, and bacteriocins with antimicrobial activities. With the advancement of molecular techniques, other genera have also been identified as potential probiotics, such as Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibaterium prausnitzii, and various species of Clostridium.
Science proves the benefits of probiotics.
Given so much evidence, probiotics are applied to prevent and treat diseases. The goal is to reduce the symptoms of clinical conditions or act as adjuvants in maintaining normal intestinal microbiota and strengthening immunity.
Below are the benefits of using probiotics:
Modulation of the intestinal microbiota induces the expression of various genes involved in critical intestinal functions such as immune system modulation, nutrient absorption, metabolism of xenobiotics, and angiogenesis.
Inhibition of pathogenic microorganisms.
Prevention against the development of metabolic diseases and other chronic diseases.
Assistance in treating allergic diseases such as rhinitis, asthma, dermatitis, and even food allergies.
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