Can the bacteria found in the gut have an impact on body temperature? We already knew that the microbiota regulated our emotions, played a role in our appetite, our immune defences, protected us from many diseases… But we are now discovering that it has an impact on our body temperature. Explanations based on the results of a study conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan.
The microbiota would therefore also be a kind of thermostat of the human body. To arrive at this observation, the scientists compared two studies: one on mice and another in patients hospitalized for sepsis, some of whom had a fever (a determining factor in survival against this blood infection). ).
Some bacteria correlated with fever
They realized that the microbiota influenced not only long-term body temperature, but also in the event of an infectious crisis, in patients with fever. One type of bacteria in particular would be correlated with this symptom: Bacillota.
Scientists also hypothesize that the evolution of the microbiota over time would explain why the body temperature of humans is lower than before.
Source: University of Michigan, January 18, 2023.
