2.09 - Urbanization and Its Effects on Microbiota

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to understanding changes in the gut microbiota as a result of progressive urbanization and industrialization, as these may underlie the increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases (e.g., metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, mental and oncological). Comparison with traditional communities showed, as expected, a series of potentially dysbiotic traits, such as reduced diversity, reduced proportions of beneficial microorganisms (generally fiber degraders), and overrepresentation of genes conferring antibiotic resistance and those involved in xenobiotic metabolism. Although it is not known whether these alterations are completely reversible, measures to prevent further changes should be considered, including revisiting our lifestyle, increasing the amount of dietary fiber, and replenishing essential ancestral taxa, as paleomicrobiology studies are now revealing.