Certain gut bacteria - particularly Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii - are called keystone species: despite their relatively small numbers they have an outsized effect on microbiome stability and gut health. Their loss can trigger cascading imbalances throughout the microbial community. Low levels of F. prausnitzii are consistently found in IBD and IBS patients. Protecting keystone species through diet and targeted probiotic supplementation is a core principle of gut health maintenance.
