NTP Gut Health & Microbiome 2

Question 1

Which short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) is the primary energy source for colonocytes?

Accepted Answer

Butyrate

Answer

Butyrate is the preferred fuel for colonocytes and plays a key role in maintaining intestinal barrier integrity.

Question 2

Secretory IgA (sIgA) in the gut primarily functions to:

Accepted Answer

Neutralize pathogens and prevent microbial adhesion to epithelium

Answer

sIgA is the dominant antibody in mucosal immunity, binding pathogens and toxins to prevent them from adhering to intestinal epithelial cells.

Question 3

A client presents with bloating that worsens with high-FODMAP foods. The NTP would most likely suspect dysregulation in:

Accepted Answer

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or carbohydrate malabsorption

Answer

FODMAPs are fermentable carbohydrates; excessive fermentation by bacteria, as in SIBO, produces gas and bloating.

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the 'leaky gut' mechanism?

Accepted Answer

Increased intestinal permeability due to tight junction dysfunction

Answer

Leaky gut (intestinal hyperpermeability) occurs when tight junction proteins loosen, allowing undigested particles and pathogens into the bloodstream.

Question 5

Which bacterial phyla ratio is commonly used as a marker of gut microbiome balance?

Accepted Answer

Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes

Answer

An elevated Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio has been associated with obesity and metabolic dysfunction in numerous studies.

(NTP) Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Practice Test

(NTP) Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Practice Test

NTP Gut Health & Microbiome 2