Diet affects our health by influencing body fat and the risk of developing heart and metabolic diseases. The gut microbiome, which includes various microorganisms living in our intestines, plays a crucial role in this diet-health connection. While much research has focused on gut bacteria, the role of other microorganisms, like Blastocystis, hasn’t been studied as much.
A team co-led by Long Nguyen, Chen Institute Department of Medicine Transformative Scholar, analyzed data from 56,989 gut microbiome samples from around the world and found that Blastocystis is more common in certain regions and among people with specific lifestyles and diets.
Having Blastocystis in the gut was linked to a unique bacterial profile and was associated with better heart and metabolic health, as well as lower rates of obesity and gut-related disorders.
In a study with 1,124 participants, those who improved their diet not only lost weight but also had an increase in the presence and amount of Blastocystis in their gut.
The team’s research, recently published in the journal Cell suggests that Blastocystis might have a beneficial role in our health, helping to explain why different people respond differently to diets and how this affects disease development.