The presence of a diverse gut microbiome appears to exert a protective effect against asthma, which may explain the largely protective “farm effect” on asthma.
European researchers analysed faecal samples from over 700 infants raised on farms, and found a strong environmental effect. It was anticipated that nutrition would be a strong contributor to gut microbiome maturation, but there were unanticipated environmental effects such as exposure to animal sheds.
Researchers found that faecal butyrate (related to butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid), which is already known to protect against asthma in mice, had an inverse association with asthma. They ascribed this to gut bacteria such as Roseburia and Coprococcus which have the potential of producing short chain fatty acids. Children with more matured gut microbiomes had Roseburia and Coprococcus present.
“Our study provides further evidence that the gut may have an influence on the health of the lung. A mature gut microbiome with a high level of short chain fatty acids had a protective effect on the respiratory health of the children in this study. This suggests the idea of a relevant gut-lung axis in humans,” said Dr. Markus Ege, professor for clinical-respiratory epidemiology at the Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital. “This also means, however, that an immature gut microbiome may contribute to the development of diseases. This emphasizes the need for prevention strategies in the first year of life, when the gut microbiome is highly plastic and amenable to modification.”
Source: News-Medical.Net
