Imagine your stomach is like a busy city, full of life and activity. This city has trillions of tiny residents called microorganisms.
These include bacteria, viruses, and other small living things known as protists.
Together, they make up what scientists call the gut microbiota. Some of these microbes can make us sick, but many actually help us stay healthy.
One of the more mysterious members of this gut city is a tiny protist named Blastocystis. It comes in different types, and each one behaves differently. Some types are harmless, and they might even be helpful. But others can cause problems.
In Singapore, scientists have been studying a type called Blastocystis ST7. This type is more common in Asia than in other parts of the world. It has been linked to stomach issues, especially diarrhea. For a long time, no one really knew why ST7 was causing these problems.
That mystery is now starting to become clear. Scientists from the National University of Singapore made a big discovery. Their team, led by Professor Nicholas Gascoigne and Associate Professor Kevin Tan, with important work from Dr. Lukasz Wojciech, found that Blastocystis ST7 makes a special chemical called indole-3-acetyldehyde, or I3AA.
This chemical acts like a bad message spreading through the gut city. It confuses our immune system—the body’s defense team—and makes it overreact. Instead of just fighting harmful invaders, the immune system starts attacking even the friendly bacteria in the gut. This causes inflammation, which can lead to stomach pain and other problems.
This was the first time scientists clearly saw how ST7 causes trouble by releasing I3AA.
But there’s good news too.
The researchers also found that some helpful bacteria can fight back. These good bacteria, especially from the lactobacillus family, are often found in fermented foods like yogurt and cheese. They seem to calm the immune system and help reduce inflammation caused by I3AA.
In simple terms, if ST7 is the troublemaker in your gut, lactobacillus might be the peacekeeper. Eating foods with these good bacteria could help keep your gut healthy and calm.
This discovery offers new ideas for treatment. Instead of just trying to kill the harmful microbes, doctors might focus on adding more helpful ones. That could mean eating more probiotic foods or creating new supplements that support gut health.
The research team is continuing their work. They want to find out if other harmful microbes also produce I3AA and which kinds of good bacteria are best at stopping it. This could lead to better treatments in the future.
This story shows how important our gut is to our overall health. It’s not just where food is digested—it’s a complex system that affects how we feel every day. By learning more about the tiny life inside us, we can make smarter choices to stay well.
So the next time you eat yogurt or cheese, remember: you might be helping the tiny heroes in your gut protect your health.
This study was published in The EMBO Journal and adds to what we know about the powerful world inside our stomachs.
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.
