Diet affects males' and females' gut microbes differently

[MBombardier]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 115407.htm

The researchers studied the gut microbes in two species of fish and in mice, and also conducted an in-depth analysis of data that other researchers collected on humans. They found that in fish and humans diet affected the microbiota of males and females differently. In some cases, different species of microbes would dominate, while in others, the diversity of bacteria would be higher in one sex than the other.

These results suggest that any therapies designed to improve human health through diet should take into account whether the patient is male or female.

[tex]

Hi Marliss,

Interesting study. As many parameters as there are that influence gut bacteria, though, I don't see how they can make that claim based on gender (alone). Unless I misread the article, it appears that the researchers only controlled/considered gender and diet in the study. There are many confounding possibilities that they appear to have ignored, such as lifestyles, and other environmental considerations that often differ widely between the genders.

If the study was done on college students (which appears to be the case), those differences in lifestyles and environments (may be even more pronounced). Unless things have changed drastically since I was there, males live in a particularly macho world, while in college. That seems almost certain to confound such a study, because lifestyles/immediate environments might be influencing gut microbes as much or more than diet. True, such differences in gut populations may well exist according to the respective genders, but that does not prove that the differences in gut populations are due to gender alone.

That said, it's very likely that hormones do indeed influence gut bacteria populations, because they influence virtually everything else in our body and in our life.

Of course I could be all wet.

Thanks,
Tex

[JFR]

I can't comment on this particular study but Tex's point is well taken in regard to much research on humans. We live in a complex multidimensional world and have complex multidimensional bodies with complex multidimensional needs so it is always really difficult if not impossible to conclude that one particular factor or another is the critical factor, whether you be talking about gut microbes or nutritional needs or depression or health in general or success in school or anxiety or addiction or etc etc etc. In other words, always be skeptical of the latest findings. Ask yourself whether the study really proves what it says it proves. Usually the best you can say its that a study suggests something, not that it proves something.

Jean

[MBombardier]

I agree. I just thought it was interesting. It's kind of like a man can skip lunch and lose five pounds but it takes a woman blood, sweat, and tears to do the same.