Craving a certain food? How gut bacteria influence your food choices

Desperate for chocolate? Eager for steak or beer? When the body is demanding a particular type of food, it might be a signal from the gut to brain (through the gut-brain axis), trying to tell you its food cravings.

Early research suggests that gut microbes might play a significant role in influencing food choices.

Microbes in the gastrointestinal tract can manipulate eating behavior through the human nervous system. Regarded as the body’s ‘second brain’, the gut not only turns food into energy but also contains a dense network of neurons called the enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS is connected to the central nervous system with which the gut can communicate and has a significant impact on human behavior.

Surprisingly, gut microbes have food preferences. Different microbes prefer different dietary substrates. For example, Bacteroides bacteria has been shown to have a preference for animal fats and protein, Prevotella bacteria prefers carbohydrates, and Bifidobacterium prefers fiber. As such, meat eaters are believed to grow out a lot of Bacteroides type bacteria in the gut, and grain lovers possibly harbor more Prevotella bacteria, while the guts of veggie munchers are dominated by Bifidobacterium.

As for the growth of harmful bacteria F. nucleatum (Fn), closely related to colorectal health problems, is also related to alcohol drinking.

A new study shows that heavy drinkers and people with a history of drinking have higher numbers of Fn than those without a history of drinking or alcoholism; the amount of alcohol consumed is also significantly proportional to the amount of Fn. In other words, the more alcohol you drink, the greater the amount of the bacteria.

Fn is one of the three major harmful bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. A study by the Centre for Gut Microbiota Research from a local university in Hong Kong identified ‘m3’, a new gene marker from a Lachnoclostridium sp., was enriched in faecal samples of patients with serious undesirable intestinal health issue. ‘m3’ together with Fn and Clostridium hathewayi (Ch), collectively called ‘M3’ group bacteria, have shown correlation with gut serious problems.

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G-NiiB M3XTRA Gut Protective formula has obtained 3 patents to fight M3, a group of harmful bacteria known to cause serious health problems. M3XTRA helps strengthen the intestine’s mucosal layer, enhances gastrointestinal system mucosa health, and supports good bacteria adherence to intestinal mucosa.

The formula includes 3 Bifidobacteria, 2 Streptococci, 3 prebiotics (i.e., Inulin, Galactooligosaccharide and Polydextrose) and Tara Gum which promotes the colonization of good bacteria. Clinical data shows that after taking M3XTRA for 4 weeks, levels of good bacteria increased by 42.6%.
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Reference：
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Hsueh, C. Y., Huang, Q., Gong, H., Shen, Y., Sun, J., Lau, H. C., Zhang, D., Tang, D., Wu, C., Guo, Y., Huang, H., Cao, P., Tao, L., Zhang, M., & Zhou, L. (2022). A positive feed-forward loop between  Fusobacterium nucleatum  and ethanol metabolism reprogramming drives laryngeal cancer progression and metastasis. iScience, 25(2), 103829. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.103829
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‍Alcock, J., Maley, C. C., & Aktipis, C. A. (2014). Is eating behavior manipulated by the gastrointestinal microbiota? Evolutionary pressures and potential mechanisms. BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology, 36(10), 940–949. https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.201400071