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Diet and the faecal microflora of infants, children and adults in rural Nigeria and urban U.K.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2010

A. M. Tomkins
Affiliation:
Endemic Diseases Research Unit, Malumfashi, Nigeria
A. K. Bradley
Affiliation:
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
Sarah Oswald
Affiliation:
Departments of Human Nutrition and Medical Microbiology, London WC1E 7HT
B. S. Drasar
Affiliation:
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT
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Summary

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The faecal microflora of breast-fed infants, weaned children and adults has been examined in rural Nigeria and urban U.K. Breast-fed infants had a similar anaerobic flora dominated by bifidobacteria but bacteroides were isolated in less than a quarter of either community. Weaned children in both communities had greater numbers of bacteroides and clostridia than breast-fed infants. Even higher numbers of bacteroides and clostridia were present in U.K. adults but not in Nigerian adults. Numbers of bacteroides and clostridia were greater in a group of Nigerian infants drinking cow's milk than those receiving breast milk alone and lower in a group of weaned children with diarrhoea compared with uninfected subjects.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

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