Space Travel's Impact on Gut Health: Key Findings

A study reveals that space travel can suppress astronauts' immune systems and affect metabolism, due to shifts in gut bacteria. Research using genetic technologies on mice aboard the ISS highlights significant gut, colon, and liver changes. These insights could help develop safeguards for future missions.

A recent study has unveiled that space travel can lead to shifts in the gut microbiota, potentially suppressing the immune system and affecting the metabolism of astronauts. The research, conducted by an international team led by McGill University in Canada, offers crucial insights into how long-duration space missions might impact astronaut health.

The researchers employed advanced genetic technologies to analyze changes in the guts, colons, and livers of mice aboard the International Space Station (ISS) over a three-month period. Their findings indicated significant alterations in gut bacteria that corresponded with changes in liver and intestinal genes, suggesting that space travel might disrupt normal metabolic and immune functions.

These results underscore the importance of understanding the interactions between gut microbiome and host physiology during spaceflight. The study's outcomes could pave the way for developing new safeguards to ensure the health and success of future space missions, such as establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon or sending humans to Mars.

(With inputs from agencies.)