COMPENDIUM ON FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE - Flipbook - Page 767
Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron
This versatile organism serves as a keystone through:
● Exceptional capacity for polysaccharide utilization [66]
● Production of sulfatases that modify host glycans [67]
● Regulation of host gene expression [68]
● Stimulation of angiogenesis in the gut [69]
● Modification of bile acid profiles [70]
● Development of appropriate mucosal immunity [71]
● Competitive inhibition of pathogens [72]
● Creation of specialized microbial niches [73]
B. thetaiotaomicron appears clinically relevant in:
● Maintaining proper barrier development [74]
● Preventing pathogenic colonization [75]
● Supporting healthy bile acid metabolism [76]
● Regulating antimicrobial peptide production [77]
● Modulating serotonin biosynthesis [78]
Its metabolic flexibility makes it particularly important during
dietary transitions [79].
Christensenella minuta
This relatively newly identified keystone species influences health
through:
● Strong heritability and correlation with lean phenotypes [80]
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