Antibiotic resistance is a high-priority public health problem. It was first noted in the 1950s. Development of new antibiotics, to replace those to which microbes have developed resistance, has not kept pace with need. A new study, however, by Agricultural Research Service scientists, finds that healthy adults who eat a diverse diet with at least 8-10 grams of soluble fiber a day have fewer antibiotic-resistant microbes in their guts.
That’s a reason for optimism, especially since it is expected that the problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—the term that refers to bacteria, viruses, and fungi that are resistant to antibiotics—is likely to worsen throughout the coming decades…
“Modifying the diet has the potential to be a new weapon in the fight against antimicrobial resistance,” explains research molecular biologist Danielle Lemay with the ARS Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, California.
We’re not talking about eating some exotic diet either, but a diverse diet, adequate in fiber, that some Americans already eat. Read more…
