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Your gut is filled with tiny single-celled parasites called Blastocystis. Disgusting, right? But a new study suggests that these gut parasites may be linked to a healthy diet. A study published in the journal Cell found that the presence of Blastocystis in the human gut may be associated with better health outcomes in a sample population from 32 different countries.
“We found that the presence of Blastocystis in the human gut is associated with a better cardiometabolic profile and lower obesity rates,” said study co-leader Francesco Asnicar of the University of Trento in Italy. (Read this also | From Gond Katira to Sabja seeds: Soak these foods overnight to improve gut health,
The study’s 1,124 participants were given a Blastocystis-containing diet composed of less processed and fiber-rich foods, which “significantly improved their diet quality and led to weight loss,” Asnikar said.
What is Blastocystis?
Blastocystis is a type of microscopic, unicellular microbe — microorganisms, such as bacteria — that lives in the gut of humans and non-human animals.
In addition to living in the gut, bacteria can also infect the skin and mouth. When they are good, they can play a major role in our health. They are known as the microbiome.
“As yet, [the] Research focuses on bacteria [microbiome] “But the role of other microorganisms, including Blastocystis, has not been studied extensively,” said Elisa Piperni of the University of Trento in Italy, the other co-leader of the study.
Blastocystis is a controversial group of microorganisms, as scientists have not been able to agree on whether the parasites are harmful or not. (Read this also | Does switching from coffee to matcha reverse aging? Experts explain,
“Until now, there was no evidence of any direct role for Blastocystis in promoting health. From a safety perspective, all Blastocystis are classified as harmful intestinal parasites,” said Sara Vieira-Silva, a microbiologist at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany.
Vieira-Silva, who was not part of the University of Trento study, said the new findings helped clarify the debate: It provided “additional support that some Blastocystis subtypes are part of a balanced gut microbiome in healthy individuals.”
Blastocystis infection is called blastocystosis. It can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, anal itching, and gas, among other symptoms.
Part 1 of the study: Blastocystis and general health
The researchers analyzed data from nearly 57,000 individuals from 32 countries.
They looked at how Blastocystis levels in the gut relate to diet, heart health and metabolic factors, such as obesity and diabetes.
High levels of Blastocystis in the gut were associated with indicators of better cardiometabolic health – meaning lower chances of heart attack, obesity and diabetes – while low levels of Blastocystis were associated with long-term health problems, including obesity.
The study also found considerable variations in the subtypes of Blastocystis, depending on a person’s age, geography and other factors. [where they live] and lifestyle.
For example, newborns do not have Blastocystis. When we grow up and start eating complex foods, the microbe establishes itself.
Luis Pedro Coelho, a computational biologist at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia, said the geographical breadth of the study, which included data from 32 countries, made the findings even more robust.
“it [shows] “It’s a complicated picture,” Coelho said. “I expected the Western samples to look more similar to each other than to others, but here in the US and Europe and China are all very different.”
Part 2 of the study: Six-month Blastocystis diet
During the study, 1,124 healthy people were enrolled in a six-month personalized dietary program that included gut microbiome sampling before and after the intervention.
Participants followed personalised meal-level advice based on food and person-specific characteristics.
“We found that participants significantly improved the quality of their diet and lost weight, and we also saw a significant increase in Blastocystis [to] “It’s a relative abundance,” Asnikar said.
Weight loss averages at 1 point on the body mass index (BMI). The BMI is a way to classify a person’s weight and potential health problems.
It was not possible to determine which specific foods increased the abundance of Blastocystis in the gut. But, overall, individuals who consumed greater amounts of unprocessed, plant-based foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds, legumes and green vegetables were more likely to have a microbiome rich in Blastocystis.
Maria Wehreschild, a physician-scientist at Frankfurt University Hospital, was not surprised that the diet improved health outcomes.
“This has been known for a long time,” said Wehreschild, who was not involved in the study. “The hardest thing is to change people’s eating habits.” Most of us know what is healthy, but that doesn’t mean we change our diet accordingly.
Does Blastocystis Cause Healthy Lifestyle?
Coelho said it’s not clear from the study whether the presence of Blastocystis directly leads to better health or whether it just indicates a healthier lifestyle in general.
“There is no solid evidence that these have a positive impact on health. In particular, given that they can be predicted by the rest of the microbiome, they may simply be indicators of general good health,” he said.
Asniker raised the same issue, saying the research team doesn’t yet know what “potential impact” the presence of Blastocystis has on a person’s health: “Many genetic, genomic and functional aspects of Blastocystis still remain to be elucidated,” he said, adding that further experimental studies are needed.
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