A new study examining the link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the gut microbiome links an imbalance in microbiota, known as dysbiosis, with mild, moderate, or severe apnea.
Our body depends on its microbiota—the bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live symbiotically in and on the body—for several functions, including an effective immune response.
Earlier research shows shifting bacteria levels can ease or exacerbate systemic inflammation and create symptoms that go hand-in-hand with sleep apnea.
Similar shifts in bacteria levels can also lead to inflammation. Research from 2018 finds this happens when an overgrowth of some gut bacteria begins to damage the intestinal mucosal barrier, allowing the translocation of microbiota in the body. This inflammatory response can drive symptoms such as high insulin, hypertension, fatigue, and inattention….