From heat-related illnesses to the geographic expansion of infectious diseases, the effects of climate change on human health are complex. And indeed, dimensions of this interaction, such as the impact of climate change on gut health, remain overlooked. 

Emerging research shows this global phenomenon may make you sick to your stomach — literally.  

Author Elena Litchman, an ecologist and a Michigan State University Research Foundation Professor, calls for interdisciplinary collaborations to solve this complex problem. A new review article appearing in The Lancet Planetary Health outlines how the compounding effects of climate change could weaken human gut microbiomes, with the most severe impacts expected across middle- and low-income countries. 

These regions face enhanced risks due to food insecurity, malnutrition and exposure to disease-causing pathogens. These challenges could have a cascading effect on the composition of gut microbial ecosystems worldwide.