Let’s go on a journey to Sweden where some scientists made a big discovery.
The story is about bacteria, the tiny living things inside our belly, and our hearts.
It’s like a detective story but with scientists instead of detectives. These scientists are from two places called Uppsala and Lund University.
SCAPIS: The Big Health Study
They looked at almost 9,000 people between 50 and 65 years old from Uppsala and Malmö.
These people were part of a big health study named SCAPIS. It’s a bit like when you go to the doctor for a checkup, but this was a really big checkup!
Bacteria, the Tiny Troublemakers
They found out that certain bacteria, which usually live in our mouths, can end up in our gut. This particular type is called Streptococcus.
Sometimes, these bacteria can cause bad stuff like pneumonia, or infections in the throat, skin, or heart valves.
Bacteria’s Bad Influence on Our Hearts
What’s even more surprising, these bacteria were linked with fatty lumps, or plaques, in the heart. These plaques can lead to heart attacks. It’s like when too much traffic causes a roadblock.
Super Tech to the Rescue
The researchers used special super-tech to look at the bacteria and heart. They studied the DNA, which is like the instruction manual of life, of these bacteria.
They also used fancy pictures to look at the heart. This way, they could connect the bacteria with the fatty lumps in the heart.
Connecting the Dots
Out of all the bacteria, two kinds, called Streptococcus anginosus and S. oralis, were the strongest links. It means that these two were found most often in people with these fatty lumps in the heart.
Mouth to Gut to Heart: The Bacteria’s Journey
They also found out something very interesting. The same bacteria found in the gut were often found in the mouth. They learned this by looking at samples from spit and poop. Gross, but important for science!
Moreover, they saw that these bacteria were connected to more inflammation, or redness and swelling, in the body. This was true even if people ate different things or took different medicines.
The Heart of the Matter
Scientists are just starting to figure out how bacteria in different parts of our bodies affect us. For example, people who had these Streptococcus bacteria in their gut seemed to have worse heart health.
Now the question is, are these bacteria actually causing the heart to get worse, or is it something else? That’s what the scientists need to find out next.
And with this, we can all hope for a better understanding of our bodies and our health. So, next time you have a gut feeling, remember, it might be your bacteria speaking!
If you care about health, please read studies that common vegetables may reduce kidney damage caused by diabetes, and the stuff in oranges and tangerines may help prevent diabetes, and heart disease.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about the 7 best foods to reduce anxiety, and results showing a diet that could boost your gut health and weight loss.
The study was published in Circulation.
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