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Henna-Maria Uusitupa: How the gut microbes you're born with affect your lifelong health
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Your lifelong health may have been decided the day you were born, says microbiome researcher Henna-Maria Uusitupa. In this fascinating talk, she shows how the gut microbes you acquire during birth and as an infant impact your health into adulthood -- and discusses new microbiome research that could help tackle problems like obesity and diabetes.
Henna-Maria Uusitupa - Microbiome researcher
Henna-Maria Uusitupa investigates innovative solutions to minimize health risks that infants might have due to disruptions in microbiota development. Full bio
Henna-Maria Uusitupa investigates innovative solutions to minimize health risks that infants might have due to disruptions in microbiota development. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
Now, I know it might be easy to think
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that microbes are bad,
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especially for infants,
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but research has in fact
proven the opposite.
proven the opposite.
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And the truth might be
a little bit more complex,
a little bit more complex,
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but it's actually way more interesting.
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It seems that we need microbes
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to be programmed for good health,
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but not just any microbes,
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we need the right combination.
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We succeed best
with the little microbial bodies
with the little microbial bodies
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we have adapted to coexist with
during evolution.
during evolution.
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And I guess it won't surprise you
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to learn that we start acquiring
that right combination right at birth.
that right combination right at birth.
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Well, at least some of us do.
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Babies born by C-section
and babies born vaginally
and babies born vaginally
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aren't the same
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when it comes to microbial start to life,
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and after birth there are
countless different early life events
countless different early life events
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and circumstances
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that further modulate the way
the gut microbiota is developing,
the gut microbiota is developing,
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such as the medications that might be
prescribed for the infant or the mother,
prescribed for the infant or the mother,
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number of pets and siblings in the family,
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as well as level of hygiene at home,
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and, in this case, it's actually better
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if it's not that perfectly
clean all the time.
clean all the time.
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And also nutrition,
both mothers and infants.
both mothers and infants.
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All of these events
and circumstances play a huge role
and circumstances play a huge role
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in the gut microbial development
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and that has a huge impact
on the lifelong health of that baby.
on the lifelong health of that baby.
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And I'm not talking about
small health implications here.
small health implications here.
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I'm talking about the big stuff.
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Microbes we acquire or do not acquire
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affect our likelihood of developing
diseases like obesity, diabetes
diseases like obesity, diabetes
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and even some cancers.
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Since many of these
early life events I just listed
early life events I just listed
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are such that we cannot affect them,
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they are inevitable,
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for example C-sections
have been invented to save lives,
have been invented to save lives,
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and they do that daily,
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and most medications
are prescribed for a valid reason,
are prescribed for a valid reason,
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especially for infants, and so on.
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That is why we have to learn
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how to protect the health of these babies
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after the occurrence
of such early life events
of such early life events
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that might disrupt their gut
microbiota development.
microbiota development.
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I work as a researcher
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and as a technical lead
of an infant health platform,
of an infant health platform,
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and the question I'm trying
to find a solution to every day at work,
to find a solution to every day at work,
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and the same question
I'm aiming to answer in this talk,
I'm aiming to answer in this talk,
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is how can we make sure
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that all babies get the same shot
at lifelong health,
at lifelong health,
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no matter how they're born
or what early life events they encounter.
or what early life events they encounter.
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Seems like a noble cause, right?
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Great.
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So let's figure this out.
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To begin, remember how I said that we need
the right combination of microbes?
the right combination of microbes?
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Well, to get that combination right,
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we need to receive those microbes
that inhabit our bodies
that inhabit our bodies
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in a certain order.
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You can think of it
like a colonization march.
like a colonization march.
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The very early microbes
that inhabit our bodies first
that inhabit our bodies first
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change the environment in the infant's gut
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so that the next microbes
are able to move in,
are able to move in,
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kind of like the first invaders
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come in first and set up
the infrastructure
the infrastructure
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for the other settlers to build upon.
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Now, if babies are born via C-section,
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that early phase of colonization
is greatly altered,
is greatly altered,
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because instead of vaginal,
fecal and skin bacteria of the mother,
fecal and skin bacteria of the mother,
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mainly only skin bacteria
enter the infant gut.
enter the infant gut.
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And that sets that colonization march
to a totally different tone,
to a totally different tone,
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and simply because that's different
to what we've adapted to during evolution,
to what we've adapted to during evolution,
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that might cause some health disadvantages
for C-section-born babies later on.
for C-section-born babies later on.
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We can take weight development
as an example here.
as an example here.
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It has been already shown
in several studies
in several studies
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that gut microbiota composition
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is associated to weight
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as well as the likelihood
of developing diseases
of developing diseases
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like diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.
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But now there are some indications
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that you could already at infancy
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see from a fecal sample of a baby
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some microbes missing
from those individuals
from those individuals
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who will later on develop
to be obese or overweight.
to be obese or overweight.
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It has also been shown
that those same microbes
that those same microbes
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might be missing from babies
who are born by C-section
who are born by C-section
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or who are predisposed to heavy loads
of antibiotics in early life.
of antibiotics in early life.
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And to kind of close this loop,
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it has also been shown in some research
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that babies born by C-section
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or are prescribed with many,
many antibiotics early in life
many antibiotics early in life
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are more likely to be obese
or overweight, even by 50 percent,
or overweight, even by 50 percent,
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which is a lot.
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05:19
Now, I know you might
be thinking at this point
be thinking at this point
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that, oh no, I just had a C-section
or I was born via C-section
or I was born via C-section
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or my child had the antibiotics.
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But I want you to not worry.
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If these microbes are missing
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or are lost for any reason,
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they can be acquired later,
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but the baby just needs
a little help with that.
a little help with that.
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One thing that has already for some time
been known to help is breastfeeding.
been known to help is breastfeeding.
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Breast milk is kind of miraculous:
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in addition to containing
nutrients for the baby,
nutrients for the baby,
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it seems to contain food
for the good microbes as well.
for the good microbes as well.
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That's great for a breastfed baby,
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but we all know that all babies
are not breastfed.
are not breastfed.
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So what could we do to ensure that also
those babies who are not breastfed
those babies who are not breastfed
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could restore their microbiota development
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after encountering
those disruptive early life events
those disruptive early life events
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that might disrupt
their gut microbiota development?
their gut microbiota development?
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06:23
And now we get to the actual
solution part of this talk.
solution part of this talk.
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The research in this field
has been taking giant steps lately.
has been taking giant steps lately.
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First, it was understood
that if there are some microbes missing,
that if there are some microbes missing,
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they can be ingested.
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We call the good microbes,
when they are ingested, probiotics,
when they are ingested, probiotics,
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and probiotics have been tested
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in several clinical trials
during the years,
during the years,
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also in infants, with great effects,
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such as reducing their risk
of eczema later in life.
of eczema later in life.
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Now, a second revolution was realized
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when the eyes of researchers
were turned to breast milk.
were turned to breast milk.
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That was logical, as, like I mentioned,
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it was already known that breastfeeding
is able to support the healthy development
is able to support the healthy development
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of gut microbiota.
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There were these particles in breast milk
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that were found already in the 1930s
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called human milk oligosaccharides,
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but their function remained a mystery
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for decades and decades
after their initial discovery.
after their initial discovery.
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They were really puzzling for researchers,
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as they are really abundant in human milk.
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They are actually
the third-largest group of solids,
the third-largest group of solids,
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but they are not digestible
by humans, not even infants.
by humans, not even infants.
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So why would mothers synthesize
something to breast milk,
something to breast milk,
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use their resources to put something there
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that is not utilizable by the infant?
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Usually nature does not work that way.
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Right?
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So it was quite a revelation
when it was finally understood
when it was finally understood
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what's the role of these particles,
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and that it is to selectively feed
the microbes that are best for infants,
the microbes that are best for infants,
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and that way to affect the infant health.
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There are over a hundred
of different HMO structures,
of different HMO structures,
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and nowadays we are able to synthesize
some of them also in the lab,
some of them also in the lab,
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and that enables us to package them up
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with probiotics for children and infants
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who are not able to receive them
from breast milk
from breast milk
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to restore their microbiota
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after encountering
disruptive early life events.
disruptive early life events.
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And that is the solution.
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As a researcher, I must say at this point
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that research in this field
is still ongoing
is still ongoing
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and a lot of work remains to be done.
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That's a favorite sentence
of us scientists.
of us scientists.
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But we are taking steps
towards understanding better and better
towards understanding better and better
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which are the key missing microbes
in various situations
in various situations
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and what HMOs we should package
with which probiotics
with which probiotics
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to help restore the microbiota of that
particular baby in that particular case.
particular baby in that particular case.
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What I wish you to remember from this talk
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is that, yes, vaginally born
breastfed baby has the microbiota
breastfed baby has the microbiota
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we have evolved to adapt to,
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but in cases where that is not possible,
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there are means to reduce
the negative health consequences.
the negative health consequences.
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Lastly, I wish you to imagine
a world for a while,
a world for a while,
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a world where there would be
such a health care system
such a health care system
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that when you take your baby
to a health care check,
to a health care check,
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they would routinely monitor the gut
microbiota development of that baby,
microbiota development of that baby,
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and if any disruptions would be noted,
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a tailor-made product
to restore the microbiota
to restore the microbiota
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would be prescribed.
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I mean, how wonderful would that be,
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if the onset of any chronic diseases
would be extremely rare
would be extremely rare
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because of this preemptive
health care system?
health care system?
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Can you imagine such a world?
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Do you believe that that kind
of future would be possible?
of future would be possible?
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I do.
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I believe in that future
and I want to contribute
and I want to contribute
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in the unfolding of that future,
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a future in which each baby
has an equal starting point for life
has an equal starting point for life
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to be programmed for lifelong health.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Henna-Maria Uusitupa - Microbiome researcherHenna-Maria Uusitupa investigates innovative solutions to minimize health risks that infants might have due to disruptions in microbiota development.
Why you should listen
Henna-Maria Uusitupa has devoted her post-doctoral career to understanding the programming effects of early life nutrition on infant metabolic, cognitive and microbiota development. Currently, Uusitupa is working at DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences as a Senior Scientist and Technical Lead of Infant Health Platform based in Kantvik, Finland. She has one clear goal in her mind: to find the right product combination to restore the microbiota of infants after disruptions.
Uusitupa earned her bachelor of science, master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees in food chemistry from University of Turku, department of biochemistry and food chemistry. She has a strong background in clinical trials including her PhD research in metabolic health, and more recently she has also focused on exploring human breast milk and its components as well as probiotics as modifiers of infant development and health.
Henna-Maria Uusitupa | Speaker | TED.com