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Gut bacteria can sense their environment and it’s key to your health

Gut Bacteria Can Sense Their Environment
Researchers discovered that beneficial gut bacteria can sense a wide array of nutrients and chemical signals, guiding them toward the best food sources. Credit: Shutterstock

Your gut bacteria are chemical detectives—sniffing out nutrients and even feeding each other to keep your microbiome thriving. Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria that constantly “sense” their surroundings to survive and thrive. New research shows that beneficial gut microbes, especially common Clostridia bacteria, can detect a surprisingly wide range of chemical signals produced during digestion, including byproducts of fats, proteins, sugars, and even DNA. These microbes use specialized sensors to move toward valuable nutrients, with lactate and formate standing out as especially important fuel sources...

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