The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in human health yet limited knowledge about its diversity in Africa has hindered progress in health research and interventions.

This study marks a significant milestone in global gut health research offering new insights into diseases like cancer diabetes and obesity and their connections to gut microbiota.

The influence of the microbiome on health is one of the most groundbreaking scientific revelations of the past 15 years. The gut likely contains as many bacteria as human cells and exhibits greater genetic diversity than human DNA notes Professor Scott Hazelhurst senior scientist at the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience (SBIMB) and Professor of Bioinformatics at Wits University's School of Electrical and Information Engineering.

A healthy gut microbiome is essential for overall well-being supporting nutrient absorption drug metabolism gut barrier integrity immune function and defense against harmful pathogens

Geographical Location Shapes Gut Health
The study highlighted that geographical location plays a significant role in shaping gut health. Participants came from diverse regions and lived varied lifestyles ranging from rural farming communities to towns transitioning toward industrialization and dense urban settlements.

This aspect has rarely been explored in microbiome studies. We've now established that geography largely influences microbiome differences with certain species thriving in rural environments and others better suited to industrialized settings explained Dr. Luicer Ingasia Olubayo co-author and researcher at the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience (SBIMB).

Food Deserts and the Impact on Gut Microbiota in Urban Areas
The study highlighted the absence of Treponema a beneficial bacterial genus among urban participants. This deficiency is likely linked to urbanization excessive antibiotic use and the prevalence of food deserts.

Food deserts are areas where affordable calorie-dense foods are abundant but fresh and healthy options are limited and often expensive. Residents in these environments face a higher risk of conditions such as diabetes heart disease and obesity.

This is also the beginning of many possibilities. There are plans to investigate the interplay between the microbiome host genetics environmental exposures and a wide range of chronic illnesses. We also intend to use new DNA sequencing techniques to examine antibiotic resistance mobile genetic elements and the stability and dynamics of viruses that infect bacteria

Source: https://www.wits.ac.za/news/latest-news/research-news/2025/2025-01/africas-largest-human-microbiome-study-sheds-light-on-gut-diversity-and-health-.html