Dietary carbohydrates and the colonic microflora.

The world of the colonic microflora has lain dormant in recent years, but is coming alive now with the advent of new chemical and molecular technologies for identifying bacteria, and the emergence of the concepts of biofilms, pro- and prebiotics. That bacteria play an essential role in barrier resistance to infection, ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer is slowly becoming clear. New potential therapeutic avenues using bacteria should soon start to open up. Scientifically we lack an understanding of the mechanisms at work.