The dual nature of Prevotella copri
The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, each having a different role to play. Let’s learn about one of them! Prevotella copri is one of the most abundant bacteria among the other Prevotella species that live inside the human gut. It is an anaerobic bacterium, meaning that it prefers an environment devoid of oxygen, like our gut. It loves to eat a plant-rich diet like fruits and vegetables that are abundant in complex carbohydrates. Hence, it is most commonly found in the non-western population, where the diet is rich in fibre and low in fats.
Prevotella copri is known to have both positive and negative effects on human health. Let’s start with the good ones: P. copri helps to improve glucose metabolism, the sugar that every living thing derives energy from. And not just the simplest form of sugar, it also helps us break down complex carbohydrates and dietary fibres. It has also been reported to help reduce fat. All in all, it is a good microbe to have in your gut if you want to have effective digestion and nutrient absorption.
But everything is not fair in love and war. Studies have shown that P. copri contributes to insulin resistance, hypertension and gut inflammation in certain scenarios. Western populations, due to their high fat and low fibre diets, have an increased number of Prevotella species in their mouths that are associated with gut-related issues. This could indicate the possibility of a mouth-gut axis link between Prevotella and gut inflammation in the western populations. Researchers have also found a link between P. copri and rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease leading to inflamed joints.
But why the dual nature? Since Prevotella copri can utilize both simple and complex forms of carbohydrates, its duality lies in what we feed it. If we hog on refined and processed sugars all the time, Prevotella copri will utilize it to give damaging outputs. Whereas if we feed it with good, healthy carbs and fibres, it will do good things for our body! Test your gut microbiome here to see if you have this super cool bacteria!
