Each human being is home to thousands of different species of bacteria. But scientists are now reporting that there are only three distinct microbial ecosystems in the guts of the people they have studied.
The three “gut types” showed no specific association with ethnic background, gender, weight, health, or age. One possibility is that an infant’s gut is simply a random colony of different species of pioneer bacteria, which alter the gut so that only certain species can track them.
The New York Times reported:
“Whatever causes different types of gut bacteria, they can all have distinct effects on human health. Gut bacteria aid in food digestion and vitamin synthesis. … Enterotype 1 produces more enzymes to make vitamin B7 (also known as biotin) and Enterotype 2 adds enzymes for vitamin B1 (thiamine).”
