GUT MICROBIOTA AND ITS ROLE IN HUMAN HEALTH: A REVIEW ACROSS GASTROENTEROLOGY, NUTRITION, AND IMMUNOLOGY

Abstract

The human gut microbiota, a dynamic community of trillions of microorganisms, is critical for a healthy functioning human body and a critical factor in the slow development and progression of disease. The emergence and growth of microbiome studies has provided the scientific community with meaningful foundational knowledge about what the microbiota do, functions like digestion, absorption, immune system modulation and protection against pathogenic organisms. When dysbiosis (imbalance) occurs, as is the case in many gut disorders, there is a strong association between dysbiosis and health outcomes indicating or predicting gut health and less often overall health, or metabolic disorders and health as well as autoimmunity. This review embraces the general experience that is gut microbiota, and considers its implications for gastrointestinal health, food and nutrition, as well as immunology. The review discusses the physiological function of gut microbiota specific to host metabolism and the immune system; as well as treatment options relevant to host deficiency and dysbiosis including probiotics (live microorganisms), prebiotics (effectively food for microbes), dietary polyphenols, dietary interventions (whole food and plant-based diets), and fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) (transfer i.e. transplant). The review also comments on some of the challenges confronting microbiome research and identify future areas for research directed at improving human health.