Dietary Factors: Major Regulators of the Gut's Microbiota

Abstract

Dietary factors and the associated lifestyle play a major role in the pathophysiology of many diseases. Several diets, especially a Western lifestyle with a high consumption of meat and carbohydrates and a low consumption of vegetables, have been linked to common diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and colon cancer. The gastrointestinal tract harbors a complex and yet mainly molecularly defined microbiota, which contains an enormous number of different species. Recent advances in sequencing technologies have allowed the characterization of the human microbiome and opened the possibility to study the effect of "environmental" factors on this microbiome. The most important environmental factor is probably "what we eat," and the initial studies have revealed fascinating results on the interaction of nutrients with our microbiota. Whereas short-term changes in dietary patterns may not have major influences, long-term diets can affect the microbiota in a substantial manner. This issue may potentially have major relevance for human gastrointestinal health and disease because our microbiota has features to regulate many immune and metabolic functions. Increasing our knowledge on the interaction between nutrients and microbiota may have tremendous consequences and result in a better understanding of diseases, even beyond the gastrointestinal tract, and finally lead to better preventive and therapeutic strategies.

New Aspects on the Metabolic role of Intestinal Microbiota in the Development of Atherosclerosis

“…In general, diet is a very A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 12 significant factor that impacts on the bacterial composition of the intestine. The alterations of this composition in different types of diet have been summarized in a recent review article [51]. It has been proposed that a healthy diet, in particular the Mediterranean one, in combination with regular physical activity, is important in order to maintain microbiota homeostasis and promote cardiovascular health [52].…”

Cruciferous vegetables: prototypic anti-inflammatory food components

“…Molecular pathways used by both pathogens and dietary components such as the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) could be an example for understanding how diet affects and drives intestinal immunity [4][5][6]. The microbiota is the key factor determining development and maintenance of the intestinal and systemic immune response [7,8]. The diet controls the dynamics and composition of the microbiota, and the relationship diet − microbiota − immunity is essential for human development and health.…”

Oatmeal Diet Days May Improve Insulin Resistance in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

“…Changes in the nutritional composition can affect the intestinal flora already within one day [20]. Thus changes in the microbiota due to oatmeal diet may be a crucial factor for the improvement of IS.…”