Must Read: Latest Study Suggests That Yeast Found In Babies' Guts Increases Risk Of Asthma

• comments
• 
• 

A recent study by microbiologists at the University of British Columbia has revealed that yeast found in the gut of newborn babies in Ecuador, is a strong predictor that these babies will possibly develop asthma in their childhood. The findings of the new study shade more light on the previous understanding of the role of micro-organisms in the overall health of humans.

"Children with this type of yeast called Pichia were much more at risk of asthma. This is the first time anyone has shown any kind of association between yeast and asthma," a microbiologist at UBC, Brett Finlay said.

In previous studies conducted by the researchers, they were able to identify four different gut bacteria in Canadian children that could possibly reduce or even prevent the risk of contracting asthma, if present in the first 100 days of the children's life. However, the researchers, in this follow-up study, repeated the experiment utilizing the fecal samples and health data from 100 children in a rural village in Ecuador, according to Medical Express.

The researchers were motivated to conduct their study in these regions as Canada and Ecuador are reported to both have high rates of asthma with up to 10 percent of the entire population suffering from the condition.

The researchers were amazed to find that although gut bacteria plays a key role in preventing asthma in Ecuador, the condition is strongly linked to the presence of a microscopic yeast or fungus known as Pichia. The yeast is said to be the major cause of Asthma in early years of a person's life, according to Science Daily.

However, rather than helping to prevent the condition, the researchers found that the presence of Pichia in these early days increase the risks of children to contract asthma. The findings of the study also suggest there could be another link between the risk of contracting asthma in babies and the hygiene of the environment for Ecuadorian children. The researchers noted, as part of the study, whether children had access to clean water.