Latest research by the scientists working with the Harvard and UC San Francisco University have revealed that our gut microbiome responds dynamically in different manners for the very same food depending upon whether the item is raw or cooked. This particular study is first of its kind that has investigated how the process of cooking the food changes the diversity of the gut bacteria.
Peter Turnbaught, the Senior Author for this new research stated that their lab, along with various other labs have studied the variable diet pattern opted by humans like vegetarian diet versus the meat-based food habit and how they impact our gut microbiome.
It was surprising for the scientists to note that till date no one from the scientific community had tried to study the basics of how cooking affects the ecosystem of the gut. This latest research started with study of effects of raw versus cooked food.
Sweet potatoes and lean beef were among the first food items to be tested. However, little to no changes was noticed when lean beef was tested in the microbiome of an animal with the cooked and uncooked version. However, there was a dramatic difference with sweet potatoes.