Let’s start with an interesting fact. There were no bacteria in our bodies when we born. However, within a few seconds of our birth, bacteria started inhabiting in our bodies. Now, we have bacteria in our eyes, mouth, digestive system and even under our arms. There are different types of bacteria. Some bacteria congregate in the humidity of our feet and sometimes in dry conditions of our forearms. Most of the bacteria are harmless when stay at their right place. Bacteria are very helpful. The three pound of bacteria in our guts helps in the digestion of food. The majority of bacteria in our guts are in the large intestine.
And, these bacteria have a high impact on our health. Bacteria in our guts help in metabolism, immune system development, production of essential bio-compound and bacteria also influence our metabolism. If they stay where they should be, it is good for our health. If they move into small intestine then we will suffer from small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Changes in gut bacteria can cause obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and inflammatory bowel disease. And, this has been shown in a number of researches.
Experts have studied the three-dimensional structure of bacterial enzymes. Bacteria play the important role of breaking down sugar polymers. These sugar polymers are broken down to simple glucose. Gut bacteria have a large no of enzymes for breaking down complex sugars. So, these studies on gut bacteria and other gut organisms give a better understanding of diseases like diabetes and obesity.
This is important because it could potentially help scientists and doctors to better understand of the impact of gut organisms on human diseases like diabetes and obesity. There are multiple species of bacteria in our bodies and we know a little about these bacteria. This will help in making more effective and safe medications. Presently, medications are designed to target human enzymes, not bacterial enzymes. For example, a doctor gives medication to control the production of glucose in a diabetes patient. However, the medication should also target bacterial enzymes responsible for the production of glucose.
Antibiotics and antimicrobials medications do target bacteria. However, we can develop more medications after understanding what different species of bacteria do inside our bodies. Apart from this, the undertaking of colonies of bacteria living in our digestive tract will also help in understating various digestive disorders. We know that small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is developed due to large intestinal bacteria moving into the small intestine.
However, we still don’t know the exact cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This is the reason why IBS is difficult to treat. So, the study of guts bacteria can reveal the causes of IBS and other digestive disorders. Our scientists can also develop more effective medication for IBS, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and disorders. Till now, these unicellular organisms have been mysteries. However, scientists have shifted their focus to these complex unicellular organisms in recent years.
So, this will bring great improvements the healthcare industry.
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