The Fiber Gap and the Disappearing Gut Microbiome: Implications for Human Nutrition

Edward C Deehan; Jens Walter

doi:10.1016/j.tem.2016.03.001

The Fiber Gap and the Disappearing Gut Microbiome: Implications for Human Nutrition

Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2016 May;27(5):239-242. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2016.03.001. Epub 2016 Apr 11.

Authors

Edward C Deehan¹, Jens Walter²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 4-126A Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation and 7-142 Katz Group Center, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E1, Canada.
² Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 4-126A Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation and 7-142 Katz Group Center, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E1, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 4-126A Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation and 7-142 Katz Group Center, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E1, Canada. Electronic address: jwalter1@ualberta.ca.

PMID: 27079516
DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2016.03.001

Abstract

Increasing evidence indicates that modern lifestyle, and specifically a Western diet, has led to a substantial depletion of the human gut microbiome. This loss is implicated in the rampant increase of chronic diseases, providing an incentive to fundamentally transform human nutrition towards being more holistic and microbiome-focused.

Keywords: dietary fiber; gut microbiome; microbial diversity; microbiome conservation; microbiome depletion.

MeSH terms

Dietary Fiber / microbiology*
Gastrointestinal Microbiome / physiology*
Gastrointestinal Tract / metabolism
Gastrointestinal Tract / microbiology*
Humans
Nutritional Status

Substances

Dietary Fiber