High-protein diets could slash cholera-causing bacteria in the gut by 100-fold.

High-protein diets could slash cholera-causing bacteria in the gut by 100-fold.

A new study from the University of California, Riverside, suggests that what we eat could strongly influence how vulnerable we are to cholera, a life-threatening bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhea.

In experiments with mice, researchers compared diets high in protein, simple carbohydrates, or fat to see how well cholera bacteria could grow in the gut. High-fat diets made little difference, and carb-heavy diets only slightly reduced infection.

In contrast, diets rich in casein—the main protein in milk and cheese—and wheat gluten dramatically limited the bacteria’s ability to establish themselves, with up to a 100-fold reduction in colonization.

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