The bacteria in your gut might have more to do with your health than you think.
Over the past few years, scientists and the public have become more interested in the gut microbiome—the community of microbes living in your digestive system.
This is because the gut microbiome plays a big role in many aspects of health, including weight, blood sugar levels, and even heart disease. And unlike genes, your gut microbes can be changed by diet, making them a promising target for improving health.
A new study published in the journal Nature has taken a big step in understanding how gut microbes relate to health and diet. The study involved more than 34,000 people from the United States and the United Kingdom.
These participants shared information about their diets, gave gut microbiome samples, and had their health markers like BMI, blood sugar, and triglyceride levels measured. The data came from the ZOE PREDICT research program, run by the microbiome testing company ZOE.
Using advanced computer tools, the researchers looked at how certain bacteria were linked to good or bad health. Out of 661 common bacteria studied, they created a list of the top 50 that were most helpful for health and the 50 that were most harmful.
This became the “ZOE Microbiome Health Ranking 2025.” Each bacteria got a score between 0 and 1. The closer the score was to 0, the more it was linked to good health. The closer it was to 1, the more it was linked to poor health.
The researchers found clear links between gut bacteria and important health indicators. People who had more of the good bacteria were usually at a healthy weight and had fewer health problems.
On the other hand, those with more of the bad bacteria were more likely to be overweight or have diseases. In fact, people at a healthy weight had over five more types of favorable gut bacteria compared to people with obesity.
The team also found that people without diseases had more good bacteria, while those with diseases had more harmful ones. This showed that gut bacteria could be used to predict health risks before symptoms appear.
The study also looked at how diet affects the gut microbiome. In two smaller studies, participants followed special diets designed to improve their gut health. Some used prebiotic supplements, while others followed personalized meal plans.
Both groups saw big changes in their gut bacteria. Some helpful microbes, like Bifidobacterium animalis—which is found in dairy foods—increased. Others linked to plant-based diets also became more common.
Interestingly, the researchers also found many important bacteria that had not been studied before. These newly discovered microbes may play a big role in health and could be studied more in the future.
Although the study was observational and cannot prove cause and effect, it provides a powerful tool for future research.
The ranking system can help scientists learn more about how bacteria, diet, and health interact. It can also guide new treatments, personalized nutrition plans, and even public health strategies.
In summary, this research shows how important gut bacteria are for your health and how your diet can help shape a healthier microbiome. It opens the door to a future where we might use personalized gut bacteria scores to stay healthier, avoid disease, and feel better overall.
If you care about gut health, please read studies about how probiotics can protect gut health ,and Mycoprotein in diet may reduce risk of bowel cancer and improve gut health.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how food additives could affect gut health, and the best foods for gut health.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
