Methods and compositions for treating musculoskeletal diseases

A medical food, the medical food comprising:

• a unit dosage form formulated for oral administration to a subject, the dosage form comprising a synthetic microbial consortium comprising at least five heterologous microbes comprising at least (1) a Pseudomonas species;
• (2) a Leuconostoc mesenteroides species;
• (3) a Lactobacillus brevis species, (4) a Lactobacillus plantarum species;
• and (5) a Pichia kudriavzevii species, wherein the synthetic microbial consortium comprises at least 1×10{circumflex over ( )}7 of each of the at least five heterologous microbes, wherein each of the at least five heterologous microbes comprises a gene or gene pathway directed to biosynthesis of short chain fatty acid (SCFA) or metabolites thereof and wherein the synthetic microbial consortium produces an increased amount of SCFA when grown together relative to the summed amount of SCFA produced by an equivalent amount of each distinct microbe grown in isolation under the same conditions, and wherein the synthetic microbial consortium comprises genes involved in biosynthetic pathways for producing Vitamin K2.