You cannot digest all food yourself, but Bacteroides can help you.
Bacteroides bacteria are common and important members of the human and animal gut microbiota. These rod-shaped bacteria thrive in oxygen-free environments such as intestinal tracts. In this dark, oxygen-poor world, they break down complex carbohydrates that we cannot digest by ourselves.
Thanks to Bacteroides breaking down plant components, we can absorb more nutrients. From these components, they produce short-chain fatty acids during microbial fermentation. With this, species like Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and Bacteroides vulgatus can support gut health and strengthen the immune system.
But Bacteroides are not simply “good” or “bad”. Depending on which other bacteria are present in the gut, they can help by defending against pathogens. Under certain conditions, however, they can also act as opportunistic pathogens. So their story is not just digestion. It is also community life in the gut: food, fermentation, defence and balance.
Everything we eat comes into contact with the bacteria living in our gastrointestinal tract. Our commensal gut bacteria transform the incoming food into different molecules, with short-chain fatty acids being the most important ones. These small molecules interact with your gut as well as the rest of your body. Certain factors, like diet influence which molecules and how much of them gut microbes produce.
Bacteria in your gut microbiome help you digest your food, strengthen your immune system and keep you healthy. For this, your gut bacteria keep you free from gut pathogenic bacteria by fighting them with different weapons. Here, we explore some ways gut bacteria defend pathogens and how you can help them protect you.
When we eat plant products, we cannot always digest all their components. Instead, our gut bacteria love plant ploymers and start degrading and digesting them. And they share the leftover food with other bacteria, so that all of them together produce some very healthy molecules for us.
Your gut microbiome is full of helpful and fascinating bacteria. They all work together to keep you healthy, digest your food and fight off intruders. Here, you will learn about what a healthy gut microbiome is, what it does and how to keep it.