Nuestro intestino esta poblado de una gran cantidad de bacterias de varias especies entre ellas levaduras, virus y fagos , formando diferentes grupos que entran en la microbiota intestinal (MI) denominados  firmicutes, bacteroidetes y antinobacterias ocupando así principalmente la parte terminal del colon.

MI forms with its human host a close symbiosis that is the product of hundreds of thousands of years of joint evolution: it exercises metabolic, nutritional and defense functions that are indispensable to the human being while it delivers nutrients and adequate conditions for its development. Although the bacterial composition of MI varies from healthy subject to healthy subject.

This intestinal microbiota acts deeply on the function of the intestinal barrier as a defense of the organism, the processes of  digestion /absorption of nutrients,  and degradation of proteins and lipids of the intestinal cell. Due to its physiological impact on the rest of the human body, MI is currently recognized as one more organ of the human superorganism and, like many other organs, can be transplanted from one individual to another.

The balance of  this digestive ecosystem depends on three components: the type of microorganisms, permeability of the intestine and local immunity. And if something affects it, it affects the whole body.

. Un gran número de enfermedades del sistema digestivo (diarrea,  síndrome de intestino irritable), del sistema inmune (alergia, diabetes de tipo 1, esclerosis múltiple), del sistema nervioso central (autismo, esquizofrenia) o metabólicas (obesidad y diabetes 2 ) están asociadas con alteraciones de la MI, de la función intestinal de barrera y de inmunidad local digestiva, El concepto de prebiótico y probiótico ha sido desarrollado en el marco de la MI; ambos compuestos pueden ser considerados como herramientas nutricionales de interés para restablecer el equilibrio de la MI en los individuos cuya enfermedad está asociada. Los resultados de estudios  sugieren que la incorporación de prebióticos a la dieta y alimentos fermentados puede ser una estrategia interesante para controlar el apetito mediante la modulación de la MI.

In general terms, the MI of obese subjects has a lower biodiversity than that of normal weight subjects. Those individuals with lower biodiversity tend to have higher adiposity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and a more pronounced inflammatory phenotype compared to those with high biodiversity.

Some authors have proposed that the presence in the IM of high concentrations of Staphylococcus aureus and low concentrations of Bifidobacterium spp. In childhood it could predict the future appearance of overweight or obesity.

The foods that favor the intestinal development of these enterobacteria are those that are in a state of fermentation, industrialized foods such as organic dairy such as:

  • Yogurt
  • Fermented Milk.
  • Organic cheese
  • Tempeh ( soybean )
  • Miso soybeans and seeds
  • Sauerkraut
  • Kefir
  • Kimchi
  • Onion
  • Olives

The incidence of diabetes in germ-free subjects is higher. Diabetes mellitus 1 rates are higher in countries with strict hygiene standards where the development of germs is naturally avoided.

Inflammation  is a hallmark of obesity and diabetes 2 and the microbiota directly impacts key metabolic pathways for energy and inflammatory balance. 70% of immune cells are in the digestive tract, if we maintain a harmony between microbiota, intestinal barrier and immune system, we avoid the presence of disease.

The following table  represents  the interrelation of  our bacterial microbiota and the different pathologies:

During the last ten years, the characterization and knowledge of the IM of the human being have progressed considerably. Currently, MI is considered an important player in the regulation of the body's energy metabolism, in particular through the colonic rescue of energy from dietary fiber and the regulation of fat storage by adipocytes. The MI of obese and T2DM patients is altered, compared to that of healthy individuals, and would be more efficient in extracting energy from food. Dietary fat intake also alters the composition of MI.

Lic. Sandra Villarreal – Mp 1138

Nutrition Area

La Posada del Qenti