Maybe . . . Maybe not. Maybe it's irrelevant. To me, that paper appears to be another example of taking a miniscule amount of superficial knowledge and trying to stretch it into something that appears to be legitimate on the surface, but in reality it's nothing but pure speculation.Tex,
Perhaps you (and we) lack butyrate-producing bacteria:
Adding additional species of gut bacteria in order to counter the effects of other gut bacteria, reminds me of doctors prescribing drugs to counteract the side effects of previously-prescribed drugs. The end result can get very messy, and very complex. I have a friend in the hospital right now, and after extensive testing, his doctors are beginning to conclude that his problem is too many drugs, and too many drugs prescribed to counteract the effects of other drugs. His doctor at the hospital is recommending eliminating all of them, and I'll bet that will resolve his problems.
Too many researchers these days seem to rely on their imaginations, rather than relying on proven facts. You and I can speculate with a clear conscience (as long as we both agree that we are speculating), but scientific researchers should stick to facts if they're going to publish conclusions that presume to carry the weight of facts. They are held to much higher standards than we are, because of the nature of their work, and (hopefully) their credibility/reputation.
Tex
