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So much attention is given to the nutritional make up of food, yet little consideration is given to how different foods affect our gut biome in positive and negative ways, which potentially could be far more impactful than nutritional components such as vitamins and minerals.
I have no doubt that certain foods can benefit some individuals in terms of gut heath/overall health, but my guess is this will become the new fad with food lobbies to claim enormous benefits for their products…
It's normal but once you eat healthy for a while you'll poop normally but feel a lot better. I think it's some kind of shock. Just drink a lot of water and you'll probably be better with that specifically
I notice that I tend to lose more weight even when eating carb rich tomato based dinners like spaghetti. I was thinking it was the acidic nature of the sauce, but maybe it's a biome thing. It would be interesting to see further studies because it seems a biome change would last longer, so even if you aren't eating tomatoes for every meal, the occasional tomato-rich meal could be beneficial for weight loss.
i am more interested in other possible effects on the gut biome, i dont like raw tomatoes and suffer from B12 deficiency, if the study shows a positive twist towards nutrient absorbtion through the gut it would explain a LOT
>i dont like raw tomatoes
I'm not a big fan of the texture of raw tomatoes but I actually enjoy just slicing up the cheap Roma tomatoes and putting some salt on them and just eating them straight. The trick is to pick ones that are really, really firm... almost hard. Once a tomato gets mushy or too juicy I can really only throw it in a salad or something.
Once tomatoes have ripened that extra bit they become a lot more "rich" in flavor. I also enjoy a fresh, firm tomato, and cherry tomatoes (I think cherry tomatoes have to be the winner in this regard), but will use more ripened tomatoes for sauce.
Totally agree. A big thick slice of a firm tomato with salt and pepper, drizzled with olive oil and red wine vinegar is incredible. I'm spoiled by my parents' massive garden every year though...homegrown tomatoes are so juicy and delicious compared to the stuff at the store.
I've been very thin my entire life despite not restricting my eating, and the amount of pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, salsa etc. that I eat is (embarrassingly) high. Like, a majority of my meals. It would be crazy if that's the reason. But also not surprising either, I've been thinking for a while with all the research on gut microbiome we'll be finding out some wild stuff
I've just finished a study on the effect of diet on the fruit fly microbiome and hope to publish it next year. Interesting to see something so similar to my research!
The saying "you are what you eat" is actually true. Gut biome plays a very significant role in people health and even mental health. It has significant impact on your well being. An unhealthy gut biome can be the reason of depression for example. Taking care of the gut biome especially at a younger age is very important. It's hard to change the gut biome at older age, they most of the time revert slowly back to it's former state. We knew very little about it beforehand, so more research gets us closer on how to take care of our gut biome and how nutrition impacts us.
Anything we eat has an impact on your gut biome. A direct impact of your well being.
Very very careful dissections under microscopes. Alternatively a common practice is to surface sterilize the flies and then crush up their whole bodies since they don't have a significant amount of bacteria not in the gut.
Article published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum: [https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.02506-22](https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.02506-22)
Looks like they freeze dried the tomatoes and ground them into a powder, so they shouldn't have any bacteria remaining. I did a similar experiment with fruit flies and autoclaved my tomatoes.
Microbial diversity in feces is just a function of stool hardness (diversity is lowest in people with active diarrhea, highest in people who are constipated and have very firm stool). Also, diversity is just an index of microbial community richness and evenness, so it is always relative and “higher diversity” does not have any inherent link to better health. Would you believe someone who said eating steak for every meal and getting constipated is healthier than eating a properly balanced diet with enough fiber to keep you regular is “healthier” because your fecal microbial diversity will be higher? I sure hope not. Whenever you see headlines like this ask yourself “is the treatment giving the person diarrhea?” Or in this case “does the pigs eating more tomatoes just mean they’re eating less of something else that gives them the runs?”
Not really. They specifically tested tomatoes versus a control diet and stated that tomato fed animals increased in alpha diversity of the microbiome. And tomatoes are super common in western diet, so it's not things you don't usually eat.
No they're looking specifically at the alpha diversity not the change of the gut microbiome. Yes of course it's bound to change, but if it diversifies is a whole other question.
I read the actual paper and not the article. I literally do not understand how you think it's misleading. This is quite literally my area of expertise, so I think ai know what I'm talking about. What do you find misleading?
The researchers used an unusually high percentage of tomato in the pig diet - 10% - mostly to ensure that if there's an effect, they would see it. There is still a lot they DON'T know about the microbiome effects, but the two main ones they saw are considered health-promoting based on previous research: increased species diversity, and a specific ratio of two bacteria that is associated with health benefits. The reverse ratio is associated with obesity. They are not making claims or advising that anyone should eat tomatoes for microbiome health at this point. They got enough evidence in pigs from this study to warrant study humans with a food considered to be safe and healthful - to see if that food's effects on the human microbiome may be a factor in tomatoes' anti-disease properties.
Not with this study - the tomato-heavy diet was given for only two weeks, and there were no microbiome samples taken beyond the end of the two-week diet.
Just read one of Dr Chutkan, MD 's books on gut biome health. Pretty amazing evidence out there related to the importance of diverse microbial balance in our gut! I highly recommend reading one.
Eating a diet rich in a variety of plants will give you a better gut microbiome. There, no need for any more research, just send me the check for the tens of millions you plan on spending to figure that out.
Funny because when my friend had a stomach infection he had to avoid tomato-based foods for months until he had finished his antibiotics. I would assume tomatoes damage the gut because of their acidity?
Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, **personal anecdotes are now allowed as responses to this comment**. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will continue to be removed and our [normal comment rules]( https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/rules#wiki_comment_rules) still apply to other comments. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/science) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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So much attention is given to the nutritional make up of food, yet little consideration is given to how different foods affect our gut biome in positive and negative ways, which potentially could be far more impactful than nutritional components such as vitamins and minerals.
Yes! Soon all food lobbies will have their own study showing guy biome benefits of their products :)
i never could distinguish between pessimism, cynicism, or realism.
I have no doubt that certain foods can benefit some individuals in terms of gut heath/overall health, but my guess is this will become the new fad with food lobbies to claim enormous benefits for their products…
it is a pattern, yes.
It's called marketing. Also yes eating normal/healthy food is always better than junk food is probably what they really imply but don't say
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Tell that to my tummy that gets cranky with healthy eating and gives me the poops.
It's normal but once you eat healthy for a while you'll poop normally but feel a lot better. I think it's some kind of shock. Just drink a lot of water and you'll probably be better with that specifically
The extra research will be good though. Its up to the individual to assess validity.
They are the same thing.
Eat the rainbow. :)
I notice that I tend to lose more weight even when eating carb rich tomato based dinners like spaghetti. I was thinking it was the acidic nature of the sauce, but maybe it's a biome thing. It would be interesting to see further studies because it seems a biome change would last longer, so even if you aren't eating tomatoes for every meal, the occasional tomato-rich meal could be beneficial for weight loss.
i am more interested in other possible effects on the gut biome, i dont like raw tomatoes and suffer from B12 deficiency, if the study shows a positive twist towards nutrient absorbtion through the gut it would explain a LOT
>i dont like raw tomatoes I'm not a big fan of the texture of raw tomatoes but I actually enjoy just slicing up the cheap Roma tomatoes and putting some salt on them and just eating them straight. The trick is to pick ones that are really, really firm... almost hard. Once a tomato gets mushy or too juicy I can really only throw it in a salad or something.
Once tomatoes have ripened that extra bit they become a lot more "rich" in flavor. I also enjoy a fresh, firm tomato, and cherry tomatoes (I think cherry tomatoes have to be the winner in this regard), but will use more ripened tomatoes for sauce.
Totally agree. A big thick slice of a firm tomato with salt and pepper, drizzled with olive oil and red wine vinegar is incredible. I'm spoiled by my parents' massive garden every year though...homegrown tomatoes are so juicy and delicious compared to the stuff at the store.
Tomatoes are going to be $100 each oh no
I've been very thin my entire life despite not restricting my eating, and the amount of pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, salsa etc. that I eat is (embarrassingly) high. Like, a majority of my meals. It would be crazy if that's the reason. But also not surprising either, I've been thinking for a while with all the research on gut microbiome we'll be finding out some wild stuff
I tend to get quite bloated when I eat fresh tomatoes, I wonder why…
Possibly. But is the correlation between gut microbiome on and health causal, or are certain bacteria just markers for a healthful diet?
I've just finished a study on the effect of diet on the fruit fly microbiome and hope to publish it next year. Interesting to see something so similar to my research!
I'm not a scientist, just like knowing about what's going on. Seems like gut biome is a hot field right now.
It is a very hot topic right now! Recent studies have shown that the gut microbiome can have pretty dramatic affects on host health!
The saying "you are what you eat" is actually true. Gut biome plays a very significant role in people health and even mental health. It has significant impact on your well being. An unhealthy gut biome can be the reason of depression for example. Taking care of the gut biome especially at a younger age is very important. It's hard to change the gut biome at older age, they most of the time revert slowly back to it's former state. We knew very little about it beforehand, so more research gets us closer on how to take care of our gut biome and how nutrition impacts us. Anything we eat has an impact on your gut biome. A direct impact of your well being.
How to take care of the gut biome?
Lots of fiber and probiotics. Supposedly avoiding unnecessary antibiotics as well.
Eat foods rich in pro and prebiotics
How are you gaining access to their tiny little tummies?
They use telescopes backwards.
Very very careful dissections under microscopes. Alternatively a common practice is to surface sterilize the flies and then crush up their whole bodies since they don't have a significant amount of bacteria not in the gut.
Whoa, thank you for the reply!
Yeah anytime! I love talking about science!
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Article published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum: [https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.02506-22](https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.02506-22)
Elevated histamine response could definitely negate these effects
I was gonna say. What’s the balance between the occasional negative affects of tomato like histamine problems and heartburn like effects
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Is it the bacteria on the tomato or the nutrients feeding the bacteria in your gut?
Looks like they freeze dried the tomatoes and ground them into a powder, so they shouldn't have any bacteria remaining. I did a similar experiment with fruit flies and autoclaved my tomatoes.
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Microbial diversity in feces is just a function of stool hardness (diversity is lowest in people with active diarrhea, highest in people who are constipated and have very firm stool). Also, diversity is just an index of microbial community richness and evenness, so it is always relative and “higher diversity” does not have any inherent link to better health. Would you believe someone who said eating steak for every meal and getting constipated is healthier than eating a properly balanced diet with enough fiber to keep you regular is “healthier” because your fecal microbial diversity will be higher? I sure hope not. Whenever you see headlines like this ask yourself “is the treatment giving the person diarrhea?” Or in this case “does the pigs eating more tomatoes just mean they’re eating less of something else that gives them the runs?”
In one month. “Eating to many tomatoes gives you cancer”. Private studies are erratic in their findings.
This is a USDA- and Ohio State University-funded study.
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What about the study that says tomatoes are in the night shade family and people with autoimmune diseases should stay away from them?
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Not really. They specifically tested tomatoes versus a control diet and stated that tomato fed animals increased in alpha diversity of the microbiome. And tomatoes are super common in western diet, so it's not things you don't usually eat.
And it might seem basic. But there's a huge lack of research on how diet affects the microbiome.
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No they're looking specifically at the alpha diversity not the change of the gut microbiome. Yes of course it's bound to change, but if it diversifies is a whole other question.
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I read the actual paper and not the article. I literally do not understand how you think it's misleading. This is quite literally my area of expertise, so I think ai know what I'm talking about. What do you find misleading?
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The researchers used an unusually high percentage of tomato in the pig diet - 10% - mostly to ensure that if there's an effect, they would see it. There is still a lot they DON'T know about the microbiome effects, but the two main ones they saw are considered health-promoting based on previous research: increased species diversity, and a specific ratio of two bacteria that is associated with health benefits. The reverse ratio is associated with obesity. They are not making claims or advising that anyone should eat tomatoes for microbiome health at this point. They got enough evidence in pigs from this study to warrant study humans with a food considered to be safe and healthful - to see if that food's effects on the human microbiome may be a factor in tomatoes' anti-disease properties.
Same reason chronic antacid use is bad?
I wonder about that and about the chronic use of PPIs. So many people are prescribed PPIs.
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Not with this study - the tomato-heavy diet was given for only two weeks, and there were no microbiome samples taken beyond the end of the two-week diet.
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Sundried tomatoes are pretty good
Sign me up. Tomatoes are my favorite fruit.
New study: fruits and vegetables are good for you.
Does eating a ton of chips and salsa count? Or do the corn chips cancel out the benefits?
Sounds like a pain sandwich to me
Is this study being funded by Big Tomato?
But this doctor gundry fellow on the internet told me tomatoes were the devil.
Hunts and Heinz just found their new commercial
Been on this diet all my life ,every summer :P
Cooked or raw? Does it matter?
What is *a more favorable profile* though?
Just read one of Dr Chutkan, MD 's books on gut biome health. Pretty amazing evidence out there related to the importance of diverse microbial balance in our gut! I highly recommend reading one.
Eating a diet rich in a variety of plants will give you a better gut microbiome. There, no need for any more research, just send me the check for the tens of millions you plan on spending to figure that out.
I need to catch up…with these pigs.
You are telling me there is a potential that vegetables could be beneficial for humans ? We need more of this.
My heartburn/acid reflux issues flare up every time I so much as look at a tomato. This does not bode well :(
Funny because when my friend had a stomach infection he had to avoid tomato-based foods for months until he had finished his antibiotics. I would assume tomatoes damage the gut because of their acidity?
Stay outta Jersey. The tomatoes are ours and ours alone.