Man or woman.
Blonde,brunette, or redhead.
A,B, O or AB.
Pitta, Vatta, or Kapha.
Ectomorph, Endomorph or Mesomorph.
And now – Bacteriodes, Prevotella or Ruminococcus. Or, as the New York Times article proposes: “ Blood type, meet bug type”
Research, led by Peer Bork of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, seems to indicate that human gut ecosystems fall into three distinct types. These types were unrelated to age, sex, weight, and ethnic background in the subjects they studied.
Question is: Why would we want to know our “gut type”?
First and foremost, who wouldn’t want a better understanding of the trillions of microbes who accompany us on the journey of our life? Yes, it’s estimated that only about 1/10th of our cells are actually “human”. For the most part the tiny life forms that reside in our digestive tract do so in a state of peaceful co-existence. They live there, hitch-hiking their way, rent-free, happily assisting in breaking down the food we eat, and making vitamins we need but can’t produce on our own.
But there are other intriguing lines of inquiry in all of this. To name a few:
- Enterotyping could be used to help identify alternatives to antibiotics which are becoming increasingly ineffective as pathogenic bacteria develop resistance. Instead of “wiping out” the bacterial flora of the gut, with all the gastric misery that sometimes entails, ways might be found to boost the strength and numbers of the “good guy” bacteria so they overpower the disease causing entities.
- Understanding our “gut type” may help to identify specific needs for vitamins. For example: One enterotype makes more B7, another is more effective in producing B1 (Thiamine)
- Each of the three types of bacterial has a slightly different effect on digestion and absorption of nutrients from the gut. Further research may yield clues on how individuals with each type can eat more healthfully, and limit tendencies to obesity.
- Enterotyping may help identify individuals at risk for the development of certain diseases or conditions
- Since 80% of our immune system is located in our intestines, it would stand to reason that a better understanding of what occurs there could lead to better understanding of health in general, and the development of more holistic ways to promote wellness.
Sometimes it’s the smallest thing that is of greatest importance.
Peace – Judi England, RN, LMT, Kripalu Yoga Instructor – firstname.lastname@example.org – 5/9/2011