Elsevier

Nutrition

Volume 32, Issue 6, June 2016, Pages 620-627
Nutrition

Review
Association between the gut microbiota and diet: Fetal life, early childhood, and further life

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2015.12.037Get rights and content

Highlights

  • The diet influences the microbiota composition from the fetation to death.

  • Diet is a powerful tool in shifting microbiota in adults.

  • High-fiber diets such as the Mediterranean diet beneficially affect the gut microbiota.

Abstract

Gut microbiota establishment and further microbiota shifts are very important for maintaining host health throughout life. There are some factors, including genetics, the mother's health and diet, delivery mode, breast or formula feeding, that may influence the gut microbiota. By the end of approximately the first 3 y of life, the gut microbiota becomes an adult-like stable system. Once established, 60 to 70% of the microbiota composition remains stable throughout life, but 30 to 40% can be altered by changes in the diet and other factors such as physical activity, lifestyle, bacterial infections, and antibiotic or surgical treatment. Diet-related factors that influence the gut microbiota in people of all ages are of great interest. Nutrition may have therapeutic success in gut microbiota correction. This review describes current evidence concerning the links between gut microbiota composition and dietary patterns throughout life.

Introduction

The human gut microbiota has become a widely discussed topic over the past decade. Gut microbiota plays an important role in the normal functioning of the host organism. This is confirmed by a growing number of studies, which reveal more about mechanisms of interaction between the microorganisms and the human body. A host also may affect its gut microbiota by changing lifestyle; naturally diet is a very important factor. One study showed that an increase in caloric intake from 2400 to 3400 kcal/d (with similar nutrient profile that included 24% protein, 16% fat, and 60% carbohydrates) over 3 d increases Firmicutes representation and decreases the representation of Bacteroidetes [1]. Inverse changes in the gut microbiota occur while reducing caloric intake [2]. It is difficult to investigate the effects on energy intake. Normal caloric intake differs from person to person and depends on age, habits, metabolism, and so on. For this reason, we have paid more attention to different nutrition compounds.

Dietary habits determine what our bacteria can consume; it is the way we are “feeding” our microbiota. Bacteria metabolic activity is defined mostly by its genome and epigenome. Saccharolytic bacteria are able to metabolize carbohydrates; this bacteria group includes Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Eubacterium, Propionibacterium, Escherichia, Enterococcus, Peptostreptococcus, Fusobacteria, and others. Proteolytic bacteria derive energy from protein fermentation and are represented by Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Proteus, Escherichia, and some species of Clostridium, Fusobacteria, Bacillus, Propionibacterium, and others. Some of them are strictly proteolytic, whereas others have mild saccharolytic activity or are actively engaged in carbohydrate fermentation. Thus, many bacteria are capable of metabolizing both proteins and carbohydrates. The aim of this review was to provide partial answers to at least some questions about the gut microbiota and diet based on published studies; and to identify important gaps in knowledge where further research should be done.

Section snippets

Antenatal period and delivery

Gut microbiota colonization begins during the antenatal period [3], [4]. Recent studies have proved the presence of bacteria in the amniotic fluid, placenta, cord blood, meconium [5], [6], [7]. A mother's diet before and during pregnancy influences the development of the child's gut microbiota [8], [9]. For example, excessive maternal intake of trans-fats in rats has been shown to induce a low-grade inflammation in babies, whereas supplementation with Jussara (Euterpe edulis Mart.) during

Nutrients in a diet affecting gut microbiota

We still cannot say what comprises “healthy” microbiota; its composition varies greatly according to the lifestyle, diet, and many other factors [34]. Scientists are attempting to identify major features of the gut microbiota in healthy people to set up a conception of normal gut flora. However, to our knowledge, there are no precise conclusions to date, and microbiota appears to be similar in people living in the same area and having contact with each other [18], [35].

In 2011, three

Gut microbiota and vegetarian diets

Vegetarian diets are of a great interest nowadays. These diets are thought to be associated with a lower risk for obesity, coronary heart disease, and other disorders. Recent findings on the links between the dietary patterns and microbiota composition differ. For instance, one experiment showed that the gut microbiota composition in healthy human vegans and omnivores was similar, and the vegan diet was not associated with higher levels of fecal SCFAs, although plasma metabolome was different

Conclusion

Alterations to the gut microbiota have been observed in numerous diseases, including liver disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and irritable bowel syndrome. The fascinating research findings concerning the links between gut microbiota composition and brain [99], depression [100], and other disorders [101] were shown here. One of the key factors in determining gut microbiota composition is diet. Cooking methods, nutrient additives, probiotic and prebiotic consumption, and diet

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    TO, KD, and BS conceived and designed the article. KD, TA, PA, and AD analyzed the current data. KD wrote the paper. KD, TO, PA, and TA were responsible for the scientific editing. TO and BS were responsible for the final statement for publication the manuscript. The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest related to the publication of this manuscript.

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