Diet Quality, Food Groups and Nutrients Associated with the Gut Microbiota in a Nonwestern Population

Dr Peter Dingle writes:

This study confirms everything I have been telling you for years about creating a healthy microbiome. It all comes down to your diet. Diet plays an important role in shaping gut microbiota. Eat more plants and eat less processed foods and add fibre.

Microbial diversity was higher in individuals with increased intake of nutrients obtained from plant-food sources, whereas the intake of food groups and nutrients correlated with microbiota structure. Random-forest regressions identified microbial communities associated with different diet components.

Two remarkable results confirmed previous expectations regarding the link between diet and microbiota: communities composed of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) producers were more prevalent in the microbiota of individuals consuming diets rich in fiber and plant-food sources, such as fruits, vegetables and beans. In contrast, an inflammatory microbiota composed of bile-tolerant and putrefactive microorganisms along with opportunistic pathogens thrived in individuals consuming diets enriched in animal-food sources and of low quality, i.e., enriched in ultraprocessed foods and depleted in dietary fiber. This study expands our understanding of the relationship between dietary intake and gut microbiota. We provide evidence that diet is strongly associated with the gut microbial community and highlight generalizable connections between them.

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/10/2938