Linking Long-Term Dietary Patterns with Gut Microbial Enterotypes

Abstract

Diet strongly affects human health, partly by modulating gut microbiome composition. We used diet inventories and 16S rDNA sequencing to characterize fecal samples from 98 individuals. Fecal communities clustered into enterotypes distinguished primarily by levels of Bacteroides and Prevotella. Enterotypes were strongly associated with long-term diets, particularly protein and animal fat (Bacteroides) versus carbohydrates (Prevotella). A controlled-feeding study of 10 subjects showed that microbiome composition changed detectably within 24 hours of initiating a high-fat/low-fiber or low-fat/high-fiber diet, but that enterotype identity remained stable during the 10-day study. Thus, alternative enterotype states are associated with long-term diet.

Patterns of seasonality and group membership characterize the gut microbiota in a longitudinal study of wild Verreaux's sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi)

“…2016). In ruminants, Prevotella digest noncellulosic polysaccharides and pectin (White, Lamed, Bayer, & Flint, 2014), and in humans, high levels of Prevotella have been associated with a carbohydrate‐ and sugar‐rich diet (Wu et al., 2011). …”

“…While the presence of approximately 60% of bacterial species, and even specific strains, can be remarkably stable (in humans; Faith et al., 2013), short‐term changes in diet can promptly affect relative bacterial abundances (Amato et al., 2015; David et al., 2014; Williams et al., 2013). For example, switching from a high‐fat/low‐fiber to a low‐fat/high‐fiber diet affects the relative abundances of several microbial taxa in humans, for example, Bacteroides and Ruminococcus , within 24 hrs (David et al., 2014; Wu et al., 2011). These diet‐related changes may increase energy extraction from food and consequently alter host metabolic pathways (Sommer & Bäckhed, 2013; Turnbaugh et al., 2006).…”

Modulation of the gut microbiota by prebiotic fibres and bacteriocins

“…However, the resilience of the communities varies and the recovery or disruption of the stable state may depend on the composition of the community, the type of disturbance and the length of exposure [17]. For example, long-term dietary interventions have mostly been shown to associate strongly with an altered pattern of certain enterotypes in the gut that overcomes resilience, while short-term dietary interventions normally do not change the microbiota composition [26,29]. However, it is still an open question and more studies are needed to determine whether the effects of long-term dietary intervention are reversible with readministration of the previous diet.…”

Biome engineering‐2020

“…Vegetarians from Slovenia demonstrated a higher faecal concentration of the Bacteroides‐Prevotella group than omnivores (Matijašić et al ., 2014). A small group of US vegetarians showed a non‐significant increase in Prevotella enterotype (Wu et al ., 2011). Why are the effects so small?…”

“…Why are the effects so small? One reason could be that the effect of the diet changes on the microbiota did not overcome the inter‐subject variations in the intestinal microbiota (Walker et al ., 2011; Wu et al ., 2011). Notably, only studies using a cross‐over design where both diets were given to the same subjects showed clear effects (David et al ., 2014).…”