[sciencerobot]

The difference is well within the variation you'd expect from multiple samples, extraction, PCR, sequencing, day-to-day.

Also, you're probably better off trying to alter your gut microbiome through ingestion of probiotics.

Source: I am a PhD student research the human gut microbiome in connection with autoimmunity and have processed thousands of these samples using the exact same methodology as uBiome.

[JoeAltmaier]

I'm curious: I've always suspected 'probiotics' are ineffective, like scattering a few daffodil seeds into a field of weeds. Either not a significant quantity to compete, or just 'food for bugs' which feeds everything indiscriminately.

[dsugarman]

as someone with plenty of gastrointestinal issues, probiotics are a godsend

[stevewilhelm]

curious to know if you have ever done a double blind test to determine if it's just a placebo effect?

[dsugarman]

I haven't but I also am always in a lot less pain when I take them. Invariably I start to have problems when I forget to keep taking them. It got to a point when every time I complain about stomach pain, a co-worker asks if I am taking my probiotics and the answer is always no.

[jp555]

Do we know specific pro-biotic species that have been found to be significantly more beneficial than the rest? How do we know?

Does "pro-biotic" refer only to beneficial prokaryotic organisms or are there known beneficial "pro-biotic" foreign eukaryotes?

[sciencerobot]

Lots of correlations and associations but no Koch's Postulate as far as I know.

[blacksmith_tb]

There are some eukaryotes, yes, e.g. Saccharomyces boulardii.

[jp555]

Ah the yeasts! I recently heard that middle-eastern ancients regularly rubbed old-bread on wounds to speed recovery. Probably more for penicillin mold, but maybe the yeasts were at play as well?

[sakai]

Aside: would be very interested in connecting about a metagenomics project I've been working on. My email is in my profile if you want to reach out.