The gut microbiome is important and we are learning more about interactions between diet, the microbiome, gut immunity, and systemic disease.
Consider these facts…
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Autoimmune diseases are increasing in prevalence thought to be related to the “hygiene hypothesis“
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Germ free mice fed a high fat, high sugar, “westernized” diet do not develop obesity. Give them a microbiome similar to that scene in those that consume a typical “western” diet and they have an increase in body fat mass
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Fecal microbiota transplant is an effective therapy for recurrent clostridioides difficile infection and fulminant disease not responding to antibiotics
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Autoimmune digestive diseases are increasing in incidence in developing countries that are increasingly embracing a “western” diet
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Hyperbaric oxygen is being studied as an adjunctive therapy for patients with ulcerative colitis and data suggests that driving up the concentration of oxygen in the colon changes the microbiota from anaerobic to aerobic resulting in less inflammation