Spring mineral water-borne bacteria reshape gut microbiota profiles and confer health benefits

Background Although dietary patterns are recognized to affect health by interfering with gut microbiota homeostasis, whether live or dead bacteria-bearing spring mineral water (MW) would also exert beneficial effects on health upon curing gut dysbiosis remains unknown. Results Due to harboring live bacteria, the heated but unboiled MW from Bama, where centenarians are ubiquitously inhabited, reshapes the gut microbiota from a traveler-type to a local resident-type except for Prevotella . While chondroitin sulfate, a component occurring in livestock and poultry meats, increases the richness of sulfatase-secreting bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria, Bama MW dampens the overgrowth of those colon-thinning bacteria and hampers the overexpression of multiple genes responsible for anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-hypoxia, anti-mutagenesis, and anti-tumorigenesis. Conclusions Bama spring MW prevents the early-phase onset of breast cancer by curating gut dysbiosis. MW also compromises chromosomal DNA damage and ameliorate mitochondrial dysfunctions, implying it may extend lifespan.