Danone North America eyes plant-based potential following microbiome investigation

31 Jan 2022 --- Dairy giant Danone North America is continuing to build its plant-based alternatives, spurred by its latest research finding that gut microbiome health is positively influenced by a diversified diet that includes both plant-based and animal-derived foods, rather than a reductionist diet like keto or paleo.

Individuals following an exclusion diet – low in carbohydrates, consisting primarily of fats, animal products and non-starchy vegetables – had the lowest amount of Bifidobacterium, a bacteria shown to have beneficial qualities for the gut microbiome.

“Danone North America has invested in several efforts to innovate in the plant-based food space and will continue to do so moving forward,” Dr. Miguel Freitas, vice president of health and scientific affairs, Danone North America, tells NutritionInsight.

“A flexitarian diet comprised of both animal protein (like dairy products) and plant-based proteins is ideal for overall wellness, including gut health, which is one of the main takeaways from the study,” he adds.

Considering the study results, Freitas adds that “Danone North America will continue to look at trends in plant-based and dairy-based foods as it considers future innovations.”

Danone North America had previously introduced two plant-based milks, Silk Nextmilk and So Delicious Wondermilk. They were created using a blend of plant-based ingredients to give a dairy-like experience, including taste, texture and vital nutrients, explains Freitas.

These advancements will enable even more customers to access plant-based options, ideal for people experimenting with the flexitarian eating pattern, and will ultimately move the category forward.

Comparing gut microbiota
The research team examined the dietary patterns of 1,800 adults in the American Gut Project – an ongoing research initiative studying the microbiome composition of citizen volunteers.

Using food consumption surveys, the researchers divided the study participants into five groups based on the diet they followed, which included a plant-based diet, a flexitarian diet, a health-conscious US diet (rich in nuts and whole grains but also high in sugary sweet), a standard US citizen diet and an exclusion diet.The gut microbiome was most negatively affected by low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets, animal products and non-starchy vegetables.

“Evaluating diet as a whole is important when studying the gut microbiome and will facilitate the design of more personalized dietary strategies in general populations,” says Patrick Veiga, science director, health and microbiome, Danone Nutricia Research.

The analysis of the gut microbiome of the study participants revealed that the alpha diversity of the gut microbiota (a measure of the different kinds of bacteria) was significantly lower in the standard US diet compared to the flexitarian pattern, which included a mix of plant and animal foods, including high amounts of dairy products.

Flexitarian eating patterns
In this study, the researchers found that the flexitarian diet exhibited better associations with the gut microbiome than individual dietary components, such as fiber or protein alone.

“The association between a habitual diet and the gut microbiota is gaining major interest, yet, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to use this type of approach and identify the dietary patterns providing the best associations with the gut microbiome,” adds Veiga.

“This study showed that the flexitarian eating pattern that includes larger amounts of plant foods, yet doesn’t eliminate animal foods, was associated with better overall diet quality and one of the approaches resulting in the most nourished gut,” continues Freitas.The flexitarian diet exhibited better associations with the gut microbiome than individual dietary components, such as fiber or protein alone.

Analyzing dietary patterns
The study was carried out in partnership with University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) researchers, whose contributions were organized by the UC San Diego Center for Microbiome Innovation.

The study also found that the gut microbiota alpha-diversity of the plant-based diet and the standard American diet was similar, which may be explained by the depletion of some animal foods, such as meat and dairy products, in the plant-based dietary pattern.

Meanwhile, the intake and diversity of fruits and vegetables have been reported as the main factors associated with gut microbiota variations. Animal protein has also been shown to increase microbial diversity.

“People may overlook that what they eat and what they avoid can impact their gut microbiome,” Freitas says. “Diet is known to influence the diversity and composition of our gut microbiome, which we now know has a tremendous impact on our overall health.”

Previously, Unilever scientists found plant-based diets are generally better for health and the environment. Additionally, Unilever and Holobiome entered into a research partnership to investigate which food ingredients interact well with gut bacteria.

By Nicole Kerr