Study finds fibre in diet can help protect the body from infections

A recent study published in the journal Nature Microbiology found that the composition of the gut microbiome can help in predicting the likely chances of life-threatening infection in a person with Klebsiella pneumoniae, E.coli and other bugs. The study also revealed that the chances of such infections can be altered by changing the diet. Klebsiella pneumonia can cause pneumonia, meningitis and other infections.

A healthy human gut microbiome has low levels of a group of bacteria called Enterobacteriaceae, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella, E.coli and others. However, factors such as increased inflammation in the body or eating contaminated food can cause illness and disease. In extreme cases, too much Enterobacteriaceae in the gut can be life-threatening.

For the study, researchers used computational approaches including AI to analyse the gut microbiome composition of over 12,000 people across 45 countries from their stool samples. The scientists found that a person's microbiome 'signature' can predict whether a person's gut is likely to be colonised by Enterobacteriaceae. 

The researchers



identified 135 gut microbe species that are commonly found in the absence of Enterobacteriaceae. It likely protects against infection. A group of bacteria called Faecalibacterium produces beneficial compounds called short-chain fatty acids by breaking down fibre in the foods we eat is among the protective gut species. 

The researchers say that adding more fibre-rich foods in your diet can help in the growth of good bacteria and remove the bad ones which can help to reduce the risk of illnesses. 

Dr Alexandre Almeida, a researcher at the University of Cambridge's Department of Veterinary Medicine and senior author of the paper said, "Our results suggest that what we eat is potentially very important in controlling the likelihood of infection with a range of bacteria, including E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae because this changes our gut environment to make it more hostile to invaders.

"By eating fibre in foods like vegetables, beans and whole grains, we can provide the raw material for our gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids -- compounds that can protect us from these pathogenic bugs."