SEVEN thousand years of beer-drinking could lead to a medical breakthrough for people suffering from bowel disease.

Bacteria which have uniquely evolved in the human gut to break down yeast found in bread and beer could help develop new treatments to combat the disease, according to a scientific study published today.

Researchers from Newcastle University and the University of Michigan have studied strains of Bacteroides thetaiotomicron which have evolved in the digestive system over the 7,000 years humans have consumed fermented food and drink.

Their research shows how microbes in our digestive tract have learned to unravel the difficult to break down complex carbohydrates that make up the yeast cell wall.

The findings, published today (Wednesday, January 7) in the scientific journal Nature, could accelerate the development of prebiotic medicines to help people suffering from bowel problems and autoimmune diseases.

Study leader Professor Harry Gilbert, from Newcastle University, “People are very interested in developing dietary regimes where good bacteria are of benefit.

“When you have certain bacteria dominant in the gut these microorganisms can produce molecules which have health promoting effects.

“There’s a lot of interest in developing prebiotics.

“The more you understand about how complex glycans are degraded the more you can think about developing sophisticated prebiotics that target the growth of specific beneficial bacteria.”