UBC Okanagan researching ‘major differences’ between Indian and Euro-Canadian guts
The science of the gut microbiome is a fast-growing area of research, but the majority of the current data likely only applies to people of European descent living in industrialized countries, said UBCO masters student Leah D’Aloisio.Gut microbiology is the study of the tiny organisms that colonize the digestive system. The microbiota or bacteria, fungi and viruses living in our digestive tract help to break down food, maintain gut health and provide protection from pathogens.
Her research is helping to address this issue by increasing the representation of Indian populations in gut microbiome research. Particularly, she is investigating the impact of immigration on the gut microbiome in Indians living in Canada. There is a worrisome trend of young Indian immigrants and Indo-Canadians developing inflammatory bowel disease at a much higher rate once living in Canada, and there is very little research into the ‘why’.
Euro-Canadians have what is called an ‘industrialized microbiome,’ which refers to the loss of species commonly found in our early ancestors’ microbiome. D’Aloisio explained that industrialized guts are very predictable and contain the same standard profile of microorganisms. One finding that was ubiquitous among Indians, is a high prevalence of a bacteria called Prevotella, which helps to digest plants.
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