In brief
A term for an imbalance in the gut's microbes. Imbalances have been linked with several health problems, but cause and effect is often unproven.
- Eating more foods containing resistant starch is one way to encourage a healthy microbiome, according to the Australian Academy of Science.
- Probiotics might help with some conditions, but the effects vary with the strain used.
How it works
Imbalances in gut bacteria have been linked to a number of health problems, including obesity, mood disorders and altered immune responses. People whose gut bacteria are fewer and less diverse appear more prone to obesity, though much of this evidence comes from studies in mice.
Antibiotics can sharply reduce gut microbe populations, and a trend towards more highly processed food has been suggested as one reason gut microbes have changed in wealthy countries. Many of these links are associations, and cause and effect is often unproven.
Connections
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Gut microbe imbalance (dysbiosis) is linked with
- Gut microbiome Emerging
Imbalances in gut bacteria have been linked to a number of health problems, including obesity, mood disorders and altered immune responses.
Source: Australian Academy of Science, Gut bacteria: the inside story
Sources
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Summarised from the Australian Academy of Science and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Sources read on 13 October 2026. General education only, not medical advice. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us through the HuBu-Intel contact page.