Question

WHAT IF? How might a sudden and dramatic change in your diet affect the diversity of prokaryotic species that live in your digestive tract?

Short answer

An individual's dietary intake or diet changes can severely impact the microbiome or the prokaryotic bacteria present in the digestive tract. Suppose the diet changes negatively; that is, from a healthy diet to an unhealthy diet, the microbiome is severely affected.

The harmful bacteria begin to increase. They also start competing with good bacteria or prokaryotes for nutrition and space and kill them.

Step-by-step solution

Microbiome

The microbiome is nothing but the groups of microbes or prokaryotes living within the human body. The microbiome is unique in every individual, of which healthy ones are crucial for carrying out various processes. The microbiome depends on food intake.

Role of prokaryotes in digestion

Prokaryotic organisms are very essential for carrying out digestion within the human body. These organisms are responsible for carrying out major cycles in the body that produce important nutrients and chemicals. These byproducts are used for digestion.

Role of a balanced microbiome

A balanced microbiome in the body is essential because it promotes the well-being of the body. When the diet changes suddenly, it can severely impact the microbiome. If diet changes from healthy nutritious food to unhealthy food, it can lessen the good microbes and increase the bad microbes in the body.

However, when the diet changes from unhealthy to healthy nutritious food, it can increase the healthy microbiome in the body and decrease the unhealthy microbiome in the body.