WASHINGTON: Your gut is full of bacteria that help keep you healthy. Now scientists want to study whether those bugs are different in vegetarians and Atkins low-carb dieters, or in couch potatoes and athletes. To participate will require mailing a stool sample and paying a fee — $ 69 and up.
That tappimay be a lot to ask, but the researchers running two novel citizen-science projects hope a lot of people sign up. The American Gut Project aims to enroll 10,000 people from all walks of life. Separately, uBiome is aiming for nearly 2,000. It’s a first step toward understanding which combinations of bacteria are the healthiest — and which are linked to health problems.
The big question is whether we might be able to change our bacteria through diet and lifestyle.
Tapping citizen-scientists for a novel gut check
Tapping citizen-scientists for a novel gut check
