Relandscaping the Gut Microbiota with a Whole Food: Dose–Response Effects to Common Bean

Abstract

Underconsumption of dietary fiber and the milieu of chemicals with which it is associated is a health concern linked to the increasing global burden of chronic diseases. The benefits of fiber are partially attributed to modulation of the gut microbiota, whose composition and function depend on the amount and quality of microbiota-accessible substrates in the diet. However, not all types of fiber are equally accessible to the gut microbiota. Phaseolus vulgaris L., or common bean, is a food type rich in fiber as well as other prebiotics posing a great potential to positively impact diet-microbiota-host interactions. To elucidate the magnitude of bean’s effects on the gut microbiota, increasing doses of common bean were administered in macronutrient-matched diet formulations. The microbial communities in the ceca of female and male mice were evaluated via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. As the bean dose increased, the Bacillota:Bacteroidota ratio (formerly referred to as the Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio) was reduced and α-diversity decreased, whereas the community composition was distinctly different between the diet groups according to β-diversity. These effects were more pronounced in female mice compared to male mice. Compositional analyses identified a dose-responsive bean-induced shift in microbial composition. With an increasing bean dose, Rikenellaceae, Bacteroides, and RF39, which are associated with health benefits, were enhanced. More taxa, however, were suppressed, among which were Allobaculum, Oscillospira, Dorea, and Ruminococcus, which are predominantly associated with chronic disease risk. Investigation of the origins of the dose dependent and biological sex differences in response to common bean consumption may provide insights into bean-gut microbiota-host interactions important to developing food-based precision approaches to chronic disease prevention and control.

Effects of high oleic acid peanuts on mice’s liver and adipose tissue metabolic parameters and gut microbiota composition

“…Even though the Allobaculum genus was linked to desirable results, causality has not yet been established. Moreover, rebuts findings, of detrimental consequences, are claimed (42)(43)(44)(45)(46) and are corroborated by the detection of lower Allobaculum levels following bean consumption (47). Consequently, the importance of aberrant Allobaculum genus levels observed in this work after the consumption of traditional peanuts is currently unknown and needs to be ascertained.…”

“…Formerly, the Mollicutes class was associated with the establishment of obesity (48)(49)(50). At the same time, the RF39 family is potentially an acetate producer (47), which has been postulated to intensify the expression of hepatic genes that participate in fatty acid oxidation and hence negatively affects adiposity (51). In line with this, increased expansion of the acetate and propionate producers, Porphyromonadaceae (Parabacteroides genus) and Rikenellaceae families (52,53), was registered in the NDh group, with the abundance of the former substantially outnumbering that of the high-oleic-fed group.…”

Dietary pulses as a means to improve the gut microbiome, inflammation, and appetite control in obesity

“…To investigate the influence bean dosage and sex have on the gut microbiota, Lutsiv et al (2022) 48 used 20‐day‐old male and female C57BL6/J mice with an established obese phenotype and fed them one of four diets for 12–14 weeks, after which bacterial measurements were taken from the cecum. Prior to bean supplementation, the mice were fed an obesity‐inducing purified diet (32.5% fat by kcal) for 8 weeks.…”

The role of pulses in improving human health: A review

“…Other compounds resistant to digestion may further contribute to beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health. Additionally, strides toward defining a serving size that best promotes health were taken when Lutsiv et al (2022) determined that the greatest benefits for weight management and beneficial relandscaping of the gut microbiome occurred when at least 35% of dietary protein was derived from pulses (Lutsiv et al, 2021(Lutsiv et al, , 2022.…”

“…Using these tools, we should then examine the effects of type of pulse and frequency of consumption. It will also be essential to consider dose-response effects, as preclinical work suggests that maximal health benefits are not realized until pulses are consumed at the level of staple foods (Lutsiv et al, 2022).…”