The disappearing microbiota: Diseases of the Western Civilization

Abstract

The human being is a superorganism composed of human cells and its associated microbiota. Humans did not emerge alone along evolution but in coexistence and intricate metabolic integration with microorganisms. The microorganisms that co-evolve and co-live with humans are called the microbiota. The human gut microbiota is a dynamic taxonomically complex community that participates in several processes related to normal function of the host-microbiota superorganism, maintaining the health status. Changes to the social aspects of the Western civilization and technological developments impacted on the evolutionary host-microbes? association. As a consequence of the disruption to this equilibrium, immunological, endocrine, metabolic and neurological alterations have arisen. Maternal diet, lifestyle, mode of delivery, administration of antibiotics to the mother during pregnancy, early nutrition (breastfeeding or formula) and treatment with antibiotics in newborns are crucial factors that affect microbiota structure. Microbiota and epigenome are involved in the reduced or increased risk to develop different microbiome-associated diseases in adult life.