Exposure to air pollution may take a heavy toll on gut bacteria, boosting the risk of obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders and other chronic illnesses, according to a study.
The research, published in the journal Environment International, is the first to link air pollution to changes in the structure and function of the human gut microbiome — the collection of trillions of microorganisms residing within us.
The researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder in the US found the gaseous pollutant ozone — which forms when emissions from vehicles are exposed to sunlight — is particularly hazardous.
Young adults exposed to higher levels of ozone show less microbial diversity and more of certain species associated with obesity and disease, they said.
“We know from previous research that air pollutants can have a whole host of adverse health effects,” said Tanya Alderete, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.
“The takeaway from this paper is that some of those effects might be due to changes in the gut,” Alderete said.
Worldwide, according to research published this month, air pollution kills 8.8 million people annually — more than smoking or war, the researchers noted.
While much attention has been paid to respiratory health, Alderete’s previous studies have shown pollution can also impair the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and influence risk for obesity.
