We often ignore it, but our intestinal microbiota, or intestinal flora, is not free of “bad” bacteria and other pathogens. Escherichia coli (E. coli) and others Klebsiella pneumoniae (responsible for pneumonia and urinary infections) can be present in our digestive tract, but at low concentrations.
At high concentrations, due to the consumption of contaminated food, or increased inflammation, these same bacteria can cause more or less serious illnesses, or even be life-threatening.
However, there are ways to prevent these pathogenic bacteria from colonizing our digestive organs too extensively: by consuming more fiber.
Protective compounds generated by the decomposition of fibers
At least this is what emerges from a new scientific study, published on January 10, 2025 in the journal Nature Microbiology (Source 1). Researchers report using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze the composition of the microbiota of more than 12,000 people, spread across 45 countries, using stool samples.
-The team thus identified 135 species of intestinal microbes, mainly bacteria, which protect the microbiota from infections. Among the protective species is the group of bacteria FaecalibacteriumWho produce short-chain fatty acids by breaking down the fibers…
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