Why microbiome tests are currently of limited value for your clinical practice
Patients usually ask for microbiome tests to manage gut-related issues, to find out what type of diet or food supplement fits best and to get information about the risk of developing chronic diseases. But what kind of information do microbiome tests provide and how reliable are their results for clinical practice?
The educational content in this post, elaborated in collaboration with Biocodex Microbiota Institute, was independently developed and approved by the GMFH publishing team and editorial board.
Scientists have not yet been able to define a single healthy gut microbiome profile
The current interest shown by patients suffering from gut ailments in testing their stool samples is rooted in the changes in gut microbiome composition or functions linked to almost every chronic disease.
But while a shared common gut microbiome signature has been found across unrelated diseases (i.e., cancer, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, neuropsychiatric conditions and other conditions such as skin problems and autoimmune disorders), causation remains mostly unresolved.
In a course recently launched by Xpeer, with an unrestricted grant from the Biocodex Microbiota Institute, on detection, prevention and treatment of gut microbiome dysbiosis in the clinical setting, consultant in gastroenterology and member of the GMFH World Summit’s Scientific Committee Francisco Guarner has updated some features of an altered gut microbiome, which include:
- Low microbial richness or diversity,
- Depletion of short chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, and
- Instability in composition over time.
However, decreased gut microbe diversity does not always mean an unhealthy gut microbiome. For instance, a patient following a mostly plant-based diet can temporarily show a decrease in gut microbiome diversity. That is caused by an enrichment of microbes specifically involved in degrading plant carbohydrates but is not a negative health hallmark. The same happens with the low diversity shown by the gut microbiome of breastfed infants as a result of specific bacteria being selected for degrading human milk oligosaccharides in breast milk, which is known to be beneficial for infant health.
LEGGI TUTTO