Our gut microbes aren’t just digesting food they may also be affecting how medicines work. For instance, studies show that gut bacteria can break down L-Dopa, a key drug for Parkinson’s disease, which reduces its effectiveness and can lead to side effects.
This means drug response isn’t just about genetics or organ function anymore the microbiome plays a key role too. In the future, prescribing drugs might involve analyzing a patient’s gut bacteria to ensure the treatment works as intended.
Should personalized medicine also include a “microbiome check”?
MBH/AB