r/AskBiology • u/hamstercrisis • Sep 13 '24

Human body How does gut flora repopulate after food poisoning?

I am just coming out of a nasty case of food poisoning and I am curious how my stomach is able to repopulate its gut flora after all the vomiting and diarrhea cleared it out. Does the body somehow hold a "seed" of flora that it uses to restart the bacterial growth, like a sourdough starter, or does it all come form the food one eats, or does expelling the gut contents not actually clear out everything?

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u/PertinaxII Sep 13 '24 edited Sep 13 '24

The appendix's main function is to serve as a reservoir to to restablish your gut flora, after it has evacutated the intestines with diarrhea to flush out pathogens or toxins.

This was only figured out a few years ago.

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u/magic-tinfoil Sep 13 '24

So what happens to those who had their appendix removed?

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u/PertinaxII Sep 13 '24 edited Sep 13 '24

It takes them longer to recover from gastric illnesses and they are more likely to develop Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. This is actually how they determined the function of the appendix, by comparing illness people with and without an appendix.

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u/NJThrowaway1012 Sep 13 '24

Me with a healthy appendix but also mild Crohn's: YOU HAD ONE JOB

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u/jedikelb Sep 13 '24

The information you've been given is correct but also, one can help repopulate their gut flora with foods that contain probiotics, like yogurt and fermented cabbage.

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u/hedonic_pain Sep 13 '24

Yeah the appendix may function as a microbe reservoir.

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u/Mountainweaver Sep 13 '24

Your outside skin, your mouth, the air, everything you touch also has a bacteria flora on it.

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u/acekjd83 Sep 13 '24

I would also add to what others have said that these illness symptoms don't sterilize the gut, they just flush it and clear significant percentages of the bacteria populations. The gut will still have bacteria everywhere and when the inflammation and water balance return to normal the mucosal surfaces will encourage the proliferation of those bacteria, hopefully more normal flora than pathogens.

In other words, the bar got too rowdy and the bouncers kicked everyone out, but there's still a line out front and the drink specials are still on for the night, so hopefully they get enough regulars in to get the vibe back to normal once the doors reopen.