Effects of Diet on Gut Microbiota Profile and the Implications for Health and Disease

Abstract

Gut microbes are present in large concentrations on the human intestinal mucosal surface and play important roles in health and disease of the host. Numerous groups of gut microbes are associated with immunological and metabolic diseases and in maintaining health status of the host. Among these health- and disease-associated gut microbes, Bacteroides, Clostridium and Bifidobacterium appear regularly in the list. Scientific and clinical evidence available to date indicates that diet is a major driving factor for the establishment of the gut microbiome. Slow digestible carbohydrates (human milk glycan, inulin and fructooligosaccharide), insoluble complex carbohydrates and protein diets favor the growth of Bacteroides, Clostridium and Bifidobacterium. Fat on the other hand suppresses the number of Bacteroides, Clostridium and Bifidobacterium; whereas polyphenols in general suppress Bacteroides and Clodtridium but enhance the Bifodobacterium. The implication is that dietary habits could be a major determinant of health and disease susceptibility. Dietary strategies could be an effective means of potentially inducing changes in intestinal microbiota and are certainly achievable, thus facilitating correction of intestinal microbiome aberrations or imbalances to improve our health. Most of the physiological and functional interactions between individual dietary components and the concoction of foods in a meal and gut microbiota have not yet been well studied. A concerted effort is required to acquire better understanding of their interaction in order to rationally maintain our intestinal microbiome homeostasis and general health through dietary intervention.

Dietary Black Raspberries Impact the Colonic Microbiome and Phytochemical Metabolites in Mice

“…Detailed Clostridium species information was not fully elucidated by our analysis and further studies are warranted to investigate the effects of a BRB diet or individual components on Clostridium species and their potential health effects. Polyphenols from red wine and tannin‐rich diets have been reported to significantly decrease the growth of Clostridium species while stimulating Lactobacillus and Bifodobacterium . Dueñas et al.…”

“…Polyphenols from red wine and tanninrich diets have been reported to significantly decrease the growth of Clostridium species while stimulating Lactobacillus and Bifodobacterium. [63][64][65] Dueñas et al reviewed studies on the modulation of gut microbiota by dietary polyphenols according to experimental design. [66] Food polyphenols or their extracts have been shown to increase Lactobacillus and Bifodobacteria in the majority of the animal and human intervention studies, yet some observed decreases or no change.…”

Gut microbiota in early life and its influence on health and disease: A position paper by the Malaysian Working Group on Gastrointestinal Health

“…Environmental factors, including geographical region, family size and exposure to pets, are thought to shape the gut microbiota of early life . For example, in young children from China, Japan and Taiwan, Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides are the most common bacterial clusters, whereas Prevotella is more predominant in children from Indonesia and Thailand .…”

“…Environmental factors, including geographical region, family size and exposure to pets, are thought to shape the gut microbiota of early life. 28,38,39 For example, in young children from China, Japan and Taiwan, Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides are the most common bacterial clusters, whereas Prevotella is more predominant in children from Indonesia and Thailand. 40 In addition, infants with older siblings have higher counts of Bifidobacteriaceae and lower counts of Peptostreptococcaceae, compared with infants without older siblings.…”

Electrochemical reverse engineering: A systems-level tool to probe the redox-based molecular communication of biology

“…shows that there is a mutual relationship between the intestinal microbiota and its host, which is believed to be crucial determinant of health and disease. The host provides their intestinal bacteria a protected nutrient-rich environment, while the bacteria make essential contributions for polysaccharide digestion [48], defense against infections and synthesis of vitamins [24]. Studies using germ-free animals show that the acquisition of symbiotic microbes is critical for the normal function of the intestine [49,50].…”