Of the importance of gut microbiome and the change they could create in life

Ultra processed food is the greatest harm that has happened to us, D. Nageshwar Reddy, founder and chairman, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Hyderabad, said here on Saturday.

While delivering the 22nd^{Professor Arcot Gajaraj Memorial Oration on ‘Gut Microbiomes: The New Revolution’, Dr. Reddy said ultra processed foods contain emulsifiers, preservatives, and colouring agents, all of which could change the microbiome, dramatically.}

He said the research showed the importance of beneficial microbiomes. “They find that longevity and healthy life are also related to the type of microbiome we have in the gut. It is a very clear indication,” he added.

Prof. Arcot Gajaraj has changed so many lives, be it doctors, patients, and so many other people, he further said.

A. Jaishree Gajaraj, chairperson, TARGET Foundation and Kausalya Gajaraj Charitable Trust, said they had been doing a lot of charity work since the Trust’s inception in 2018.

In the fireside chat between Lakshmi Prashant, consultant, Kauvery Hospital, Little Ones Paediatric Clinic, Chennai, and Sarath Gopalan, senior consultant, paediatric gastroenterologist and hepatologist, Madhukar Rainbow Children’s Hospital, New Delhi, on the topic ‘from the plate to the gut’, Dr. Gopalan said the non-nutritional aspects of feeding in children were equally important.

“The level of emotional and social stimulation a child gets, at the time of feeding and during the day, makes a huge difference. If the feeding is an unpleasant experience for the child, the child is not going to like it. And, the kind of signals it sends to the brain will lead to a different path altogether, and the stress will also contribute to a disordered state in the gut,” he added.