Cryptic diversity of cellulose-degrading gut bacteria in industrialized humans. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38484069/)

These scientists studied how some tiny organisms living in our guts help us digest the tough parts of plants like leaves and stems. They found special bacteria that have a structure called a cellulosome, which is like a team of enzymes that break down plant fibers. These bacteria are called ruminococcal species and they are found in the gut of many people, especially those who eat a lot of plants.

The scientists think that these bacteria originally came from animals like cows and sheep, and somehow ended up living in our guts a long time ago. Over time, these bacteria changed and adapted to our diets. They found that these special bacteria are more common in people who live in rural areas and eat lots of natural foods, but they are not as common in people who live in cities and eat more processed foods.

This study shows how our gut bacteria have evolved with us and how changes in our lifestyle and diet can affect the types of bacteria living inside us.

Morais S., Winkler S., Zorea A., Levin L., Nagies FSP., Kapust N., Lamed E., Artan-Furman A., Bolam DN., Yadav MP., Bayer EA., Martin WF., Mizrahi I. Cryptic diversity of cellulose-degrading gut bacteria in industrialized humans. Science. 2024 Mar 15;383(6688):eadj9223. doi: 10.1126/science.adj9223. Epub 2024 Mar 15.