Beer-digesting bacteria may fight disease too

New York, Jan 8: Bacteria that has evolved to help us digest the yeast that give beer and bread their bubbles could also aid in fighting off yeast infections and autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease, new research has found. The findings could accelerate the development of prebiotic medicines to help people suffering from bowel problems and autoimmune diseases, the researchers noted. The research unraveled the mechanism by which B. thetaiotaomicron has learned to feast upon difficult to break down complex carbohydrates called yeast mannans. For the study, the researchers fed mice a diet consisting of 50 percent yeast leavened bread. The study appeared in the journal Nature.