Did COVID-19 wreck my gut microbiome?

Quantified Self General Health
,
1

I did a gut microbiome analysis in February. Interestingly, it was 10 days after receiving a positive on the COVID-19 test.

I had previously done the same gut microbiome test in 2018, so I used it as a comparison.

My overall gut score fell to 22/100 from 68/100. All the levels of good bacteria(Lactobacilli, Bifidobacterium, and faecalibacterium) fell.

I had to make a concrete game plan to improve my gut microbiome.

This is deep dive into the importance of gut health, gut microbiome testing, and my plan to find a healthy balance in my gut microbiome.

Link here: https://ilmostromberg.com/gut-guide-review/

1 Like
2

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.
The gut microbiome changes significantly day-to-day, and sampling differences can affect the results enough that meaningful insights are almost impossible from a single gut microbiome test.

That said, you might be able to tease out a few interesting takeaways. I couldn’t find in your post an overall phlyum-level summary (what % is Firmicutes/Bacteroides/etc), but that’s the first place I would look. If that is significantly out-of-whack, or if another phylum is very dominant (e.g. one of the the proteobacteria) then I would take that as a clue that something is odd.

How severe was your COVID infection? I assume you weren’t hospitalized, so perhaps this is not relevant but I would look for evidence of Enterococcus faecalis? This seems to be a predictor of COVID severity.

Your action plan seems sensible to me. I would suggest that you also consider a water-only fast for 2-3 days. If your gut is accustomed to a lifetime of regular meals, a short fast can give some of your underrepresented microbes some time to come to the surface and improve your overall composition.

1 Like
3

Hi, Have you considered the 30 Different Plant Foods per Week challenge? They say it is sufficient to support a diverse microbiome.
Good Luck