Biodata from astronauts and rodents in space are revealing that being up there significantly increases a major digestive issue called gut permeability.
Thursday’s lineup at the International Space Station Research & Development Conference in Boston included a presentation from University of Florida PhD student Oluwamayowa Akinsuyi. After looking at several datasets from NASA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Akinsuyi’s team found a “substantial reduction” in the expression of genes that maintain our intestinal barrier.
“Osteoporosis is a big problem astronauts experience during spaceflight, and this can be worsened by gut microbes and also a weak gut barrier,”
A lack of intestinal integrity could trigger disorders like inflammatory bowel disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis and bone loss.
