Diet, Income, and City Living Raise Antibiotic Resistance and Mortality Risk: Study Finds - Video

A large population-based study published by researchers from the University of Turku, Finland, in Nature Communications, has found that the burden of antibiotic resistance genes in the gut microbiome is significantly associated with a higher risk of sepsis and all-cause mortality. The study also identified key lifestyle, demographic, and dietary factors contributing to resistance, offering new insights into how everyday choices may influence long-term health outcomes.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a growing global threat, responsible for over one million deaths annually. While previous studies have examined short-term clinical impacts, this new research followed over 7,000 Finnish adults for nearly two decades as part of the FINRISK population study, analyzing their stool samples to measure antibiotic resistance gene prevalence in gut bacteria and its association with health outcomes.

The study confirmed that antibiotic use was the most significant factor contributing to the resistance burden, with tetracyclines showing the strongest link. However, resistance was also associated with certain dietary patterns and social factors. A diet rich in fibre such as berries, potatoes, and rye bread was linked to lower resistance, while consumption of raw vegetables, salad, and chicken was associated with higher levels. Notably, beneficial gut bacteria like bifidobacteria and Prevotella were connected with reduced resistance, whereas Escherichia coli and Bacteroides, more common in western diets, were linked to increased resistance.

Unexpectedly, women, urban residents, and individuals from higher-income households showed higher resistance burdens factors typically associated with better health.

The study revealed that individuals with a high resistance burden had a 40% higher risk of all-cause mortality and more than double the risk of sepsis over 17 years. While causality wasn’t established, the researchers emphasize that resistance burden may serve as an important marker of overall health.

“Prevention of infections, good hand hygiene, food hygiene and a balanced diet support gut health. By paying attention to these, everyone can help prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance,”said Katariina Pärnänen, Academy Research Fellow at the Research Council of Finland.

Reference: Pärnänen, K., Ruuskanen, M.O., Sommeria-Klein, G. et al. Variation and prognostic potential of the gut antibiotic resistome in the FINRISK 2002 cohort. Nat Commun 16, 5963 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61137-x