The Long-Term Stability of the Human Gut Microbiota

Abstract
Inheritance Guts: We know little about the stability of the constituent microbiota in the human gut or the extent to which the gut microbiota are a potential target for long-term health interventions. Faith et al. (p. 10.1126/science.1237439 ) analyzed the fecal microbiota of 37 individuals and found that, on average, 60% of bacterial strains remained stable for up to 5 years and many were estimated to remain stable for decades.