control how much a bacterium grows in the intestine tagged posts

Nori sheets. Credit: © StockphotoVideo / Fotolia

Scientists working with laboratory mice have shown that it’s possible to favor the engraftment of one gut bacterial strain over others by manipulating the mice’s diet. The researchers also have shown it’s possible to control how much a bacterium grows in the intestine by calibrating the amount of a specific carbohydrate in each mouse’s water or food.

Gut bacteria thrive on the food we eat. In turn, they provide essential nutrients that keep us healthy, repel pathogens and even help guide our immune responses...