A new Lancet Planetary Health review warns that climate change is harming human gut microbiota through food insecurity and environmental stress. This disruption may worsen disease risk, especially in vulnerable populations across low- and middle-income countries.

BulletsIn

• Climate change affecting gut health via diet, heat, and food quality
• Gut microbiota disruption linked to malnutrition, infections, chronic diseases
• Plant nutrients like zinc, iron, protein decline with high CO₂ levels
• Indigenous, rural, low-income groups at higher risk due to reliance on local diets
• Rising heat linked to more waterborne diseases and gut imbalance
• Disrupted gut bacteria affect metabolism, immunity, even brain health
• Research gaps persist due to lack of climate-health-microbiota integration
• Indian scientists studying heat-gut links; data still limited
• Calls for multidisciplinary research and better funding for climate-microbiome work
• Tools like GutBugBD now help track gut-microbiota-drug interactions for future therapies