People living in UK’s poorest areas have less diverse gut bacteria, study finds | Poverty

People living in poorer areas of the UK have a less diverse range of bacteria in their gut, leading to poorer health outcomes than their more affluent counterparts, a study has found.

The research, carried out by academics from King’s College London and the University of Nottingham, analyzed the gut bacteria of 1,390 twins across the UK as well as their residential postcodes to identify the socio-economic status of the area.

Deprivation was measured using the Townsend Deprivation Index, which takes into account measures such as unemployment and overcrowding, as well as car and home ownership.

The intestine, or gastrointestinal system, is the route that food and drinks take through the body. It ensures that all beneficial nutrients are absorbed and used for energy, growth and repair.

Gut health is linked to physical and mental health: around 95% of serotonin, a mood regulator, is produced in the gut. An unhealthy microbiome can cause inflammation and also lead to anxiety and depression.

Analysis of participants’ gut health revealed the existence of 12 bacterial species linked to living in more deprived areas. Two of these species, Lawsonibacter and Intestinimonas massiliensis, were also negatively associated with deprivation and higher rates of anxiety and diabetes.

Changes in these particular bacteria could explain how social disadvantage affects mental and physical health, researchers say, because these bacteria typically produce butyrate, which supports energy balance and blood sugar control. Alongside these findings, research has shown that deprivation is associated with reduced gut microbiome diversity.

Dr Cristina Menni, lead author of the study and senior lecturer in molecular epidemiology at King’s College London, said: “While this is still an emerging area of ​​research, we know that the diversity of bacteria in the gut plays an important role in overall health.

“Health inequalities remain one of the biggest challenges facing the UK, and we still do not fully understand how social disadvantage translates into poorer health. Our findings suggest that people who live in more socially deprived areas of the UK may have less diverse gut microbiomes, and that this may be a biological pathway linking deprivation to poorer physical and mental health outcomes. We hope this could lead to interventions which support gut health and help improve overall well-being,” she added.

The findings also suggest that the health of a person’s gut microbiome may play an important role in the link between poorer health outcomes and social deprivation.

Dr Yu Lin, first author of the study and research associate at King’s College London, said the gut microbiome could be “one of the ways our environment and social circumstances, such as chronic stress, financial difficulties and access to healthy food, affect both our mental health and our metabolic health”.

She added: “These microbes, in turn, influence how the body processes energy and communicates with the brain. This suggests that social and environmental disadvantages may be biologically rooted through changes in gut bacteria.

“In other words, the bacteria in our gut could help explain how where we live and the stresses we face shape our overall well-being. We hope our findings will contribute to new strategies to support health in disadvantaged communities.”