User:JewelSciComm/sandbox

The study of the effect of infectious agents on metabolism is still in its early stages.

Gut flora has been shown to differ between lean and obese people. It's been observed in many studies using mice as the model species that the gut composition can be indicative of adiposity. In mouse models, scientists have also been able to mimic the effects of the western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) on the gut microbiome. These studies have consistently shown that a Western pattern diet increases the abundance of Firmicutes while reducing the abundance of Bacteroidetes. The vast reproducibility of these results suggest that our diet has the potential to impact our gut microbiome more significantly than our genetics and immune response in modulating our microbial communities.