The Correlation Between Carbohydrate Loading Diet and Gut Microbiome: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Nutrition Science
• Metabolic Research

Background:

• The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in host digestion, metabolism, and overall health.
• Metabolic syndrome, a significant human health concern, can be studied in animal models using carbohydrate-loading diets.
• Understanding diet-microbiome interactions is key to addressing metabolic disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the effects of carbohydrate-loading diets on the animal gut microbiome.
• To analyze how different carbohydrate types influence gut microbiota composition and associated physiological outcomes.
• To identify patterns linking specific dietary patterns to metabolic health markers.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across five major databases up to September 2024.
• Seventeen animal studies involving over 690 rodents were included in the review.
• Risk of bias was assessed using SYRCLE's tool for included studies.

Main Results:

• Carbohydrate-loading diets significantly alter gut microbiome composition, diversity, and the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio.
• High-carbohydrate, high-fat diets consistently increased the F/B ratio, a shift associated with human obesity.
• Different carbohydrate types (e.g., fructose, sucrose) induced varied effects on the microbiome and host physiology, including blood pressure and gut integrity.

Conclusions:

• Carbohydrate-loading diets differentially impact the gut microbiome and host physiology.
• High-fat carbohydrate diets, unlike starch-based diets, tend to elevate the F/B ratio.
• Further research is essential to fully elucidate the complex interplay between diet, the gut microbiome, and metabolic health in both animals and humans.