21 Oct 2019 --- Lifestyle and diet are key to a healthy gut microbiome, according to two studies. Following an examination of the remnants of a frozen man who lived 5,300 years ago, scientists from the University of Trento, Italy, concluded that the evolution of dietary and hygienic habits in Western countries is associated with a decrease in the bacteria that help in digestion. The depletion of the microbiome may be associated with the increased prevalence, in Western countries, of complex conditions like allergies, autoimmune and gastrointestinal diseases, obesity. Meanwhile, researchers from the University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, found that certain foods, including legumes, bread, fish, nuts and wine, are associated with high levels of friendly gut bacteria. The findings support the idea that the diet could be an effective management strategy for intestinal diseases through the modulation of the gut bacteria.
