Diet and faecal flora in three dietary groups in rural northern Nigeria

Quantitative bacterial counts, concentrations of bile acids and bacterial enzyme profiles were measured in faecal samples from three tribal groups with distinctive dietary patterns in a rural area of northern Nigeria. Samples were obtained from Maguzawa (with a predominantly cereal diet), Hausa (cereal with regular meat consumption) and Fulani (cereal with frequent consumption of cows' milk). Numbers of bacteroides, clostridia and concentrations of bile acids were lower in the Maguzawa than the other dietary groups but these differences were not statistically significant. Bacterial enzyme profiles in each group were similar. The results are discussed with respect to possible influences of diet on the human intestinal microflora.