Urban vs Rural: The Battle for a Healthier Gut
The gut contains trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as the microbiome, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and more. This microbiome plays a vital role in health by protecting against pathogens, aiding digestion and nutrient absorption, and maintaining gut physiology and intestinal barrier integrity. Additionally, it influences the immune system's development, communicates with the brain via the gut-brain axis, and affects mental well-being, including mood, stress, and anxiety.
Our gut microbiome is affected by diet, environment, antibiotic use, and host genetics. People in different parts of the world have distinct gut microbiomes influenced by lifestyle and geography. Here, we discuss the gut microbiomes of rural and urban populations.
Factors Influencing Gut Microbiome
Diet:
- Rural Person: Consumes natural, locally grown produce, whole grains, and legumes, high in fiber.
- Urban Person: Consumes processed foods high in sugar and unhealthy fats, low in fiber due to busy lifestyles.
Environment:
- Rural Person: Close to nature, high exposure to diverse microorganisms, low pollution.
- Urban Person: Limited natural exposure, higher pollution levels, contaminated food risks.
Antibiotic and Hygiene Practices:
- Rural Person: Lower antibiotic use, moderate hygiene promotes diverse microbiome.
- Urban Person: Higher antibiotic use, excessive hygiene reduces microbiota diversity.
Impact on Gut Microbiome
The differences in lifestyle between rural and urban residents shape their gut microbiomes in distinct ways. Rural individuals tend to have a more diverse and richer gut microbiome, which is associated with a lower prevalence of modern allergic and metabolic diseases.
Studies have shown that rural people have more butyrate-producing genera like Marvinbryantia and Turicibacter, which help prevent inflammation. In contrast, urban populations have a higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity. The intestinal microbiota of rural people also contain more bacterial species needed to digest fiber and lower levels of amino acids and biogenic amines, indicating lower protein consumption. Additionally, cellulosome-producing bacteria found in the microbiomes of cows and sheep have been identified in rural individuals due to their close interactions with these animals.
This data suggests that urbanized individuals should adopt regional and seasonal diets and interact more with nature to cultivate a diverse, rich, and healthy microbiome.
References:
Rural and urban microbiota differ from a young age, finds new study
