How your gut microbiome’s microorganisms fight off infections

Your gut microbiome contains bacteria that aid with digestion, boost your immune system, and keep you healthy. Your gut bacteria defend you from gut pathogenic bacteria by using a variety of tools to combat them. Here, we examine the mechanisms by which gut bacteria fight diseases and how you might support their defense of you. Your body is full of microbes, and the bacteria in your gut in particular help to keep you healthy. They support healthy immunological function, aid in food digestion, and guard against harmful gut bacteria.

The so-called commensal bacteria are those that reside in your gut. Fortunately, they possess a unique superpower that allows them to shield us from microorganisms that can infect us and make us ill. To combat these pathogens, our commensal gut bacteria evolved some remarkable defense mechanisms. Hence, by taking care of our beneficial gut flora, you are also enhancing your resistance to sickness. Here, we will examine the types of bacterial battles that exist in your gut as well as how these bacteria protect you from diseases and maintain your health.

Pathogens are defended by your gut flora via poisonous chemicals.

Bacteria have a variety of ways to eliminate rival bacteria, other germs, or even their own siblings. These bacteria frequently create substances that are harmful to their prey, which inhibits cellular enzymes or machinery. The prey would be unable to develop or survive without these machines, which would result in its eventual death.

It’s interesting to note that gut bacteria make and transmit a wide range of harmful compounds with varying properties, roles, and even sources.

Bacteriocins are made by gut bacteria
To kill other bacteria, many bacteria create chemicals that resemble antibiotics. These are referred to as bacteriocins.

While some bacteriocins are modest and straightforward, others might be large and complex. They all, however, aim to bind to a particular target in the prey bacterium and stop that target from functioning properly.  It makes sense then that a large number of the bacteria in our gut microbiome create bacteriocins, which are poisonous to pathogenic invaders. Also, our guts are home to a wide variety of bacteria, each of which produces a unique bacteriocin. As a result, entering infections encounter a massive amount of poisonous chemicals, which makes it extremely difficult for them to settle in our intestines.

Ruminococcus gnavus, for instance, is a bacteria that enjoys the warmth and dearth of oxygen in our gut. Moreover, Ruminococcin A and C, which are poisonous against human gut pathogens such Clostridium perfringens, are produced by this organism.

Bacteriocins are harmful to pathogens like Enterococcus faecalis and are also produced by other beneficial gut bacteria including Escherichia coli and Blautia products. Also, certain of their bacteriocins have the ability to affect the cells in our stomach by enhancing and activating our immune response.

Short-chain fatty acids are produced by gut bacteria from fibers

Your food plays a key role in protecting against harmful gut flora. Our beneficial gut bacteria break down non-digestible carbohydrates called fibers when we consume large amounts of them. Short-chain fatty acids are tiny molecules that are created from these fibers and have numerous advantages for our general health.

It’s interesting to note that our intestine’s pH decreases when there are a lot of these short-chain fatty acids present. For the majority of pathogenic bacteria, this is already quite challenging because few of them can survive in such an acidic environment.

Moreover, pathogenic gut bacteria are exposed to short-chain fatty acids, which causes the pH to decrease. This can prevent numerous cellular machinery from operating properly, and since few bacteria have the means to defend themselves against this attack, they will perish.

Bile acids are transformed into harmful chemicals by gut microorganisms
Our liver creates bile acids in order to better digest the fats in our diet. These molecules bind fatty acids and lipids to make them easier for our bodies to absorb.

Yet, some of the helpful bacteria in our stomach can change these basic bile acids from our liver. For instance, Clostridium scindens, one of these bacteria, convert them into secondary bile acids that can bind the lipids in bacterial membranes.

Certain pathogenic gut bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, or Clostridium difficile, have their membranes partially or completely opened by secondary bile acids. The invaders are finally eliminated as a result, and our stomachs remain pathogen-free.

Using a bow and arrow to eradicate germs
Yep, there are actual bacterial battles going on right now in our stomachs! They are also unpleasant!

These bacteria fire lethal arrows into other bacteria using tiny, miniature bows. The shot bacterium has almost no chance of surviving the onslaught because these arrows have the potential to be extremely poisonous.

Fortunately, the bacteria in our stomach employ their bows and arrows to fight off intestinal infections. For instance, the commensal bacterium Bacteroides fragilis can launch a variety of arrows from three different bows. Also, studies have shown that this bacterial companion can shield us from harmful germs that might otherwise cause intestinal problems.

How to support your gut bacteria’s pathogen defense
Now that you are aware of how your gut microbiome protects harmful gut bacteria, you should support their role in maintaining your health. You may make your gut bacteria more at ease and content by giving them the correct items to eat. And when the proper bacteria develop inside of you, they will gratefully defend you from undesirable visitors!

Another thought for researchers is to keep you healthy by applying what they have discovered. The goal is to create probiotics or prebiotics that support our immune system’s defense against harmful germs. For instance, you might take probiotics containing bacteria that can combat pathogens or tablets containing toxins that fight pathogenic gut flora.

Despite the case, consuming the correct foods will always assist your gut flora thrive in your intestines. That indicates a lot of vegetables and fiber!