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Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
Published on: October 15, 2019
Mediterranean versus Western diet: Effects on gut microbiota, systemic inflammation, and clinical implications in
1Department of Clinical Pathology, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital "Dr. José Eleuterio González", Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.
Background & Aims:
The gut microbiota plays a key role in metabolic regulation and systemic inflammatory processes, and is significantly influenced by dietary patterns. In this context, the Mediterranean diet and the Western diet have been extensively studied due to their contrasting effects on metabolic health. This study aimed to analyze the available evidence regarding the impact of these dietary patterns on gut microbiota composition and systemic inflammatory markers, as well as their clinical implications.
Methods:
A structured literature review was conducted through a systematic search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science, including studies published between 2010 and 2025. Human studies evaluating the relationship between dietary patterns, gut microbiota, and inflammatory markers were included.
Results:
The analyzed evidence consistently indicates that greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with increased gut microbial diversity, higher abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, and lower circulating inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and TNF-α. Conversely, Western dietary patterns were consistently linked to gut dysbiosis, reduced microbial diversity, impaired intestinal barrier integrity, and a chronic low-grade inflammatory profile.
Conclusions:
The Mediterranean diet emerges as a clinically relevant nutritional strategy for the prevention and management of metabolic diseases, with potential benefits that may be partly associated with gut microbiota modulation.
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