More than 11,000 volunteers took part in a scientific project by sending researchers their used toilet paper for gut analysis, reports infohub.kz.
The large-scale effort, part of the American Gut Project, allowed specialists to build one of the world's largest open databases on the human microbiome. In total, experts received more than 15,000 samples from participants in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and 42 other countries. Volunteers collected the biological material themselves and mailed it to laboratories. During the study, the project's authors analyzed hundreds of millions of genetic fragments.
The key finding was that bacterial diversity in the gut turned out to be significantly higher than previously thought based on small-scale experiments. Researchers found that each person's microflora is unique and retains its characteristic features even after a year of observation. At the same time, the broad range of microorganisms is directly linked to everyday diet, rather than simply to vegetarianism or a meat-based diet.
The highest level of microbiological diversity was recorded in people who consumed more than 30 different types of plant foods per week. Meanwhile, participants who had taken antibiotics in the past month showed a substantial decline in beneficial bacterial diversity. The project clearly demonstrated the importance of engaging citizen volunteers for fundamental medical research.