Western diets, renowned for their scanty fiber content, present considerable hurdles to the gut microbiome’s capacity to efficiently metabolize resilient plant matter. While fruits and vegetables constitute essential elements of human nutrition, the complex mechanisms through which our bodies break down cellulose, the principal organic compound in plant cell walls, are just beginning to be comprehended by scientists.
An international team of researchers conducted a recent study that unearthed hitherto unknown gut microbes adept at cellulose degradation. Previously, it was widely presumed that humans lacked the capability to digest cellulose, unlike ruminant animals such as cows and sheep.
Nonetheless, in 2003, scientists identified human gut bacteria proficient in cellulose breakdown, marking a significant breakthrough in elucidating our digestive capacities.
Expanding upon this revelation, the recent study employed sophisticated genetic analysis methodologies to pinpoint analogous cellulose-digesting microbes within the human gut microbiome. By scrutinizing fecal specimens from individuals spanning diverse geographical regions and historical epochs, researchers unveiled a startling prevalence of cellulose-degrading microbes across human populations.
Remarkably, distinct species of these microbes were found to be linked with various groups of mammals, hinting at a closer evolutionary association between humans and animals than previously acknowledged.
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