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Published on: September 22, 2019
Diet, the human gut microbiota, and IBD
Gary D Wu1, Frederic D Bushmanc, James D Lewis
1Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Anaerobe
|April 4, 2013
Summary
The human gut microbiota composition is linked to long-term diet. Specific enterotypes, like Bacteroides and Prevotella, correlate with diets high in animal fat or carbohydrates, respectively, impacting host health.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Human Health
- Dietary Science
Background:
- The human gut microbiota plays a crucial role in host health.
- Imbalances in gut microbiota are increasingly linked to various diseases.
- Diet is a significant factor influencing gut microbial composition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between diet and gut microbiota composition in humans.
- To characterize distinct enterotypes within the gut microbiota.
- To explore the potential role of diet-mediated microbiota changes in disease pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized diet inventories to assess long-term dietary habits of 98 individuals.
- Employed 16S rDNA sequencing to analyze fecal microbial communities.
- Clustered fecal samples to identify enterotypes based on microbial composition.
Main Results:
- Identified distinct enterotypes, primarily defined by the abundance of Bacteroides and Prevotella.
- Associated enterotypes with specific long-term dietary patterns: protein/animal fat (Bacteroides) and simple carbohydrates (Prevotella).
- Observed co-exclusion patterns between Prevotellaceae and Bacteroides, with Prevotella potentially indicating residence in agrarian societies.
Conclusions:
- Long-term dietary habits significantly shape the human gut microbiota composition and enterotype.
- Diet-induced gut microbiota alterations may be an environmental factor contributing to diseases like inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
- Further research is needed to clarify the discrete or continuous nature of enterotypes and their precise role in health and disease.
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