The Ruminococcus bacteria in our gut microbiomes play a major role in helping us digest resistant starches - the complex carbohydrates found in high fiber foods such as lentils, beans, and unprocessed whole grains.
The slow digestion of these special carbs by Ruminococci has been associated with numerous health benefits such as reversing infectious diarrhea and reducing risk of diabetes and colon cancer.
One species of Ruminococcus has been associated with increased severity of Irritable Bowel symptoms, but most species are important and necessary for our digestive function.
References:
- Ruminococcus bromii is a keystone species for the degradation of resistant starch in the human colon [L]
- Association of symptoms with gastrointestinal microbiota in irritable bowel syndrome [L]
- Human Gut Microbiota: Repertoire and Variations [L]
- Le Chatelier E, Nielsen T, Qin J, et al. Richness of human gut microbiome correlates with metabolic markers. Nature. Aug 29
2013;500(7464):541-546. [L]
- Andoh A, Sakata S, Koizumi Y, Mitsuyama K, Fujiyama Y, Benno Y. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of
the diversity of fecal microbiota in patients with ulcerative colitis. Inflammatory bowel diseases. Aug 2007;13(8):955-962. [L]
- Png CW, Linden SK, Gilshenan KS, et al. Mucolytic bacteria with increased prevalence in IBD mucosa augment in vitro utilization of
mucin by other bacteria. The American journal of gastroenterology. Nov 2010;105(11):2420-2428. [L]
- Joossens M, Huys G, Cnockaert M, et al. Dysbiosis of the faecal microbiota in patients with Crohn’s disease and their unaffected relatives. Gut. 2011;60(5):631-637. [L]
- Willing BP, Dicksved J, Halfvarson J, et al. A pyrosequencing study in twins shows that gastrointestinal microbial profiles vary with inflammatory bowel disease phenotypes. Gastroenterology. Dec 2010;139(6):1844-1854 e1841. [L]
- Lyra A, Rinttila T, Nikkila J, et al. Diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome distinguishable by 16S rRNA gene phylotype quantification. World J Gastroenterol. Dec 21 2009;15(47):5936-5945. [L]
- Krogius-Kurikka L, Lyra A, Malinen E, et al. Microbial community analysis reveals high level phylogenetic alterations in the overall
gastrointestinal microbiota of diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome sufferers. BMC gastroenterology. 2009;9:95. [L]
- Finegold SM, Molitoris D, Song Y, et al. Gastrointestinal microflora studies in late-onset autism. Clinical infectious diseases : an official
publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Sep 1 2002;35(Suppl 1):S6-S16. [L]
Ruminococcus spp.
Every lab result you’ve ever had, charted and explained.
Healthmatters is a tracker for your lab results. Upload a report from any lab, any country — every marker charted and explained.
Start with my report →
All our content is backed by peer-reviewed studies, academic research, and trusted medical sources. We’re committed to accuracy and transparency — see our editorial policy for details.