Enterobacter are gram-negative bacteria that are classified as facultative anaerobes, which means that they are able to thrive in both aerobic and anaerobic environments.
Enterobacter in the human microbiota is a pathogenic (=disease-causing) organism or is capable of becoming pathogenic.
Studies have found specific bacteria such as Enterobacter aerogenes are sensitive to melatonin rhythms. As melatonin is secreted from the gut lining, it can cause an increase in Enterobacter aerogenes. This suggests our circadian rhythms may be regulated more closely alongside specific bacterial clocks than we previously realized. [L]
Higher levels:
– People with Inflammatory Bowel Disease typically show high levels of Enterobacter, but low levels of F. prausnitzii.
– A research project performed at the universities of Jyväskylä and Turku studied the effects of a specific gut enterobacterium on body fat mass. [L]
- Gut-inhabiting enterobacter increases subcutaneous fat mass
- The bacterium also causes liver damage
– In a Chinese study, Enterobacter was decreased from 35% of an obese volunteer’s gut bacteria to non-detectable during which time the volunteer lost 51.4kg and recovered from hyperglycemia and hypertension. The volunteer was on a strict whole grains, traditional Chinese medicinal foods diet + prebiotics. [L]
References:
– https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0146643
– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26751389
– https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/enterobacteriaceae
– https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180531102753.htm
– https://www.nature.com/articles/ismej2012153
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