Gut microbiome may hold key to shaping future nutritional guidelines, study finds

13 Jun 2022 --- The gut microbiome is being pegged as the “black box” of nutrition research as diet-microbiome interactions are anticipated to contribute to the foundation of dietary physiological effects. According to researchers from the University of Alberta, Canada and the University College Cork, Ireland, dietary guidelines could be improved, modified and innovated based on data on diet-microbiome-host connections.

“Although the human gut microbiota plays an essential role in the physiological effects of nutrition and the onset of chronic disease, national dietary recommendations worldwide are only now beginning to take advantage of scientific advances in the microbiome field,” the researchers note.

According to the study, microbiome-focused endpoints should be incorporated into all aspects of nutrition science to enhance the evidence base for dietary guidelines. This can also lead to the development of food products reducing chronic disease risks, the scientists add.

Uniform food-based dietary advice
The research focused on how the gut microbiota regulates and promotes the physiological effects of dietary compounds, dietary habits and specific foods. The findings were utilized to help explain nutrition debates, develop creative nutritional advice and establish an experimental paradigm for incorporating the microbiome into nutrition research.

The researchers discovered a high level of consistency in national food-based dietary advice from various countries with different dietary patterns.

Nutritional microbiology research can inform all aspects of healthy eating and hence contribute to preventing and controlling diet-related diseases.Other prominent nutritional platforms concur with these recommendations, such as the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets and sustainable food systems and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Reformulation of processed foods, rather than elimination, has been proposed as a way to improve the diet quality of populations. Such approaches will demand a breakthrough in food engineering that tackles the links between diet, microbes and hosts (diet-microbe-host interconnections).

Once the properties of the microbiome and health-promoting taxa were identified, the researchers suggested that nutritional methods may be utilized to target them.

Due to the highly personalized reaction of gut microbiota to diet, microbiome assessments were a significant component of precision-nutrition strategies focusing on chronic illness prevention and therapy, among other individual-specific aspects.

Processed foods, whole grains and legumes
The research discovered that all dietary guidelines recommended whole-plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts over processed meals with added salt, saturated fats, or sugar.

Additionally, processed foods’ fermentable ingredients may promote excessive bacterial growth in the small intestine and an unfavorable microbial metabolic and compositional profile. In addition, it harms the immunity and endocrine systems.

Several microbiome studies support the Mediterranean diet’s importance in dietary recommendations.The evidence for whole grains’ ability to reduce the risk of chronic diseases was substantial. The microbiota may play a causal role in the health effects of whole grains, according to a study combining human studies and mechanistic analyses in mice.

Several dietary guidelines recommend that plant-associated protein foods be consumed often because of their benefits to human and environmental health. A growing body of evidence suggests that the gut microbiome plays a role in the health benefits of legumes.

Furthermore, evidence from observational and intervention research suggests that eating fatty fish – a dietary source of omega 3 fatty acids – is beneficial for heart health and your gut flora may mediate these health advantages.

Microbiome research and Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet incorporates a variety of food kinds that are beneficial to host interactions. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil are recommended as dietary requirements, as are eggs, poultry, fish, and dairy products in moderation, and processed and red meats and processed foods in moderation.

Several recent microbiome studies support the Mediterranean diet’s importance in dietary recommendations. Indeed, recently updated dietary guidelines advise eating habits that resemble the Mediterranean diet, such as the dietary approaches to stop hypertension.

NutritionInsight previously reported on the Microbiome Movement – Human Nutrition Summit that explored scientifically-validated nutritional interventions that promote human health and reduce disease risk through the microbiome. Meanwhile, research conducted by Gelesis unveiled the link between a healthy gut microbiome and weight management.

By Nicole Kerr