The topic of gut microbiome, their composition, and how bacteria, fungi, viruses, and bacteriophage live in harmony with one another is both a burgeoning and interesting one, mainly because your gut health is thought to affect your overall health in so many ways. It’s not just your digestion that your gut bacteria take care of. Want great immunity? Wish to ward off inflammatory health conditions? Crave better sleep? Like being in a better mood? Your gut microbiome can have a say in all of that and more.
According to a 2022 study done on mice and published in the journal Nature Communications, consuming a diet high in protein can alter the way your gut microbiome acts, and this could lead to an inflammatory response triggered by your immune system. Basically, too much protein in your system is linked with elevated levels of bacterial extracellular vesicles, which your body considers a threat.
Commenting on the study, lead author Jian Tan shared (via The University of Sydney), “By increasing antibodies in the gut you may see strong protection against potential pathogens, for example salmonella, but on the downside, an activated immune system could mean you are at increased risk of colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, or autoimmune conditions like Crohn’s.” Now that you know how being focused on one nutrient can harm your health, you’re probably wondering how much protein is too much.