Modernity is reducing variety of bacteria in our digestive tract.

It is undeniable that the “wonders of modernity” such as urbanization, basic sanitation and the development of medicine and pharmacology have greatly increased people's quality of life. However, this does not mean that there are only good points thanks to that.

A study at the University of Alberta, Canada, compared stool samples from US citizens to those from residents of Papua New Guinea, one of the least developed nations today, located in the South Pacific. Research has shown that Americans have about 50 fewer bacteria in their digestive tract than papua.

This would be an indication that the diet of countries with high levels of industrialization directly impacts the balance of the digestive microbiome, which is the set of microorganisms present in our digestive system. The constant intake of antibiotics and foods with substances that increase their shelf life, the sanitation of our environments and the low fiber intake may be factors that explain these differences.

We are what we eat

The study does not specifically focus on the effects this finer diet can have on our health. However, one of the hypotheses raised by the study is that these changes in the microbiome may be responsible for the increased occurrence of chronic diseases related to eating habits.

Examples are type 2 diabetes and obesity, which affect a much larger portion of the population than 50 years ago. These diseases practically do not exist in Papua New Guinea and other countries with little industrialization. In contrast, there are high rates of infections and considerably shorter life expectancy in these places.

That is, our modern lifestyle has brought us many benefits, but it is still necessary to find out which factors generated by our urban development cause this rise in the rates of chronic diseases. Then we will be able to fight them efficiently and make people healthier overall.