Understanding the Lasting Impact of Early Gut Bacteria
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The Significance of Early Gut Bacteria
As someone who shares the twin experience, I find this research particularly intriguing! A recent study sheds light on why the bacteria we acquire during birth and early life hold such importance — they can endure for many years!
The research conducted by Li et al. (2021) utilized data from the TwinsUk cohort, analyzing 1,004 gut microbiome samples from older twins, approximately 65 years of age. The findings revealed that a small fraction of the gut bacteria acquired in early life can persist for several decades.
The Findings:
From the study's abstract: “We identified rare genomic variants (including single nucleotide variations and indels) for 27 prevalent species with sufficient sequencing coverage for reliable genomic variant identification. It was observed that certain species showed a significantly higher sharing of rare variants among twin pairs, both monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ), compared to unrelated individuals.”
The Implications:
This indicates that many species present in your gut microbiome, acquired at birth and during early childhood, can last a lifetime. This includes bacteria gained from your mother’s vaginal canal, gut, and skin during birth. Following birth, additional bacteria are introduced from the surrounding environment—through the air, every touch, kiss, food consumed, and anything else placed in the mouth. Remarkably, many of these bacteria could remain with you until the end of your life!
From the abstract: “Our data suggest that many species in the human gut acquired during early childhood can persist throughout life, extending into senior ages.”
The first video, "The Vital Cells of Existence: The Science of Your Microbiome," explores the fundamental roles of these bacteria in our health and longevity.
Scientific Reference
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Exploring the Invisible Universe of the Human Microbiome
The second video, "The Invisible Universe Of The Human Microbiome," delves deeper into how our gut microbiome shapes our health and wellbeing.
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