Gastroenterology 2014 Feb 03;[EPub Ahead of Print], LG Albenberg, GD Wu
Review · February 24, 2014
TAKE-HOME MESSAGE
- The influence of diet on the structure and metabolism of the intestinal microbiota is reviewed. Differences in diet, even short-term changes, can result in significant changes in the microbiota, and metabolic products from the microbiota can be absorbed through the intestine, possibly influencing the physiology of the host.
- The health implications of these changes in physiology are discussed. Therapeutic strategies could include consideration of the effect of diet on the microbiota, and the resulting metabolites. However, further research is needed to demonstrate a direct link between diet, the intestinal microbiota, and disease development.
Commentary By
Nutrition’s Effect on the Microbiome
This review by Albenberg and Wu summarizes how nutrition affects the gut microbiome, which, in turn, may influence the incidence of disease. The simple summary is that a healthy balance of bacteria is promoted through breast-feeding and eating a diet high in fiber, vegetables, and fruit.
Breast milk contains human milk oligosaccharides (MOS) which promote the growth of bifidobacteria species found to promote immunoglobulin A and carbohydrate metabolism, enhancing immune function and the maintenance of an ideal weight. Once children reach 3 years of age, the gut microbiome is well-established; therefore, what children are fed prior to this time is important.
The best way to change the balance of the gut bacteria is to eat fibrous plants and avoid excess sugar and fatty meat. Improving the diet can change the microbiome. In a study published in Science, stool was taken from human twins, one of whom was obese and the other of normal weight. When the stool from the obese twin was transplanted into sterile mice, the mice fed a diet representing different levels of saturated fat and nutrients typical of US diets gained more weight. But the mice fed a low-fat, high-fiber diet did not gain weight.1
This review looks at how nutrition affects the gut microbiome and the incidence and progression of a number of conditions, including obesity, insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease. Time and further research will likely tell us how to specifically manipulate the type of bacteria in the gut to treat and reduce the incidence of these common conditions. But, until then, keep encouraging breast-feeding and low-fat, high-fiber nutrition.
For a review of recent articles on the dynamics of the gastrointestinal ecosystem, see The Amazing Microbiome.
Reference
- Ridaura VK, Faith JJ, Rey FE, et al. Gut microbiota from twins discordant for obesity modulate metabolism in mice. Science. 2013;341(6150):1241214.
ABSTRACT
The mutual relationship between the intestinal microbiota and its mammalian host is influenced by diet. Consumption of various nutrients affects the structure of the microbial community and provides substrates for microbial metabolism. The microbiota can produce small molecules that are absorbed by the host and affect many important physiological processes. Age-dependent and societal differences in the intestinal microbiota could result from differences in diet. Examples include differences in the intestinal microbiota of breast- vs formula-fed infants, or differences in microbial richness in individuals consuming an agrarian plant-based vs a Western diet, which is high in meat and fat. We review how diet affects the structure and metabolome of the human intestinal microbiome, and may contribute to health or pathogenesis of disorders such as coronary vascular disease and inflammatory bowel diseases.
GastroenterologyDiet and the Intestinal Microbiome: Associations, Functions, and Implications for Health and Disease
Gastroenterology 2014 Feb 03;[EPub Ahead of Print], LG Albenberg, GD Wu