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Review
. 2019 Oct 7;11(10):2393.
doi: 10.3390/nu11102393.

Food Components and Dietary Habits: Keys for a Healthy Gut Microbiota Composition

Emanuele Rinninella  1   2 , Marco Cintoni  3 , Pauline Raoul  4 , Loris Riccardo Lopetuso  5   6 , Franco Scaldaferri  7   8 , Gabriele Pulcini  9 , Giacinto Abele Donato Miggiano  10   11 , Antonio Gasbarrini  12   13 , Maria Cristina Mele  14   15
Affiliations
Review

Food Components and Dietary Habits: Keys for a Healthy Gut Microbiota Composition

Emanuele Rinninella et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The gut microbiota is a changing ecosystem, containing trillions of bacteria, continuously shaped by many factors, such as dietary habits, seasonality, lifestyle, stress, antibiotics use, or diseases. A healthy host-microorganisms balance must be respected in order to optimally maintain the intestinal barrier and immune system functions and, consequently, prevent disease development. In the past several decades, the adoption of modern dietary habits has become a growing health concern, as it is strongly associated with obesity and related metabolic diseases, promoting inflammation and both structural and behavioral changes in gut microbiota. In this context, novel dietary strategies are emerging to prevent diseases and maintain health. However, the consequences of these different diets on gut microbiota modulation are still largely unknown, and could potentially lead to alterations of gut microbiota, intestinal barrier, and the immune system. The present review aimed to focus on the impact of single food components (macronutrients and micronutrients), salt, food additives, and different dietary habits (i.e., vegan and vegetarian, gluten-free, ketogenic, high sugar, low FODMAP, Western-type, and Mediterranean diets) on gut microbiota composition in order to define the optimal diet for a healthy modulation of gut microbiota.

Keywords: diet; dietary emulsifiers; dietary habits; food additives; gut microbiota modulation; leaky gut; low-calorie sweeteners; macronutrients; micronutrients; non-communicable diseases; personalized medicine; salt.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Impact of a high-fat diet on gut microbiota and mucus barrier. [ ], concentrations; ↑, increase; MUC2, Mucin 2.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effects of different types of diet on gut microbiota, mucus layer, and immune cells. Bacteria species variations are indicated in rectangular frames. The arrows pointing up or down respectively indicate an increase or decrease of bacteria abundance. Each color of the rectangular frames represents one phylum: yellow for Actinobacteria, green for Firmicutes, red for Proteobacteria, blue for Bacteroides, and purple for Verrumicrobia. In the illustration of the intestinal epithelium, oval shapes represent microbiota. Each color represents one phylum. Abbreviations: FODMAP: fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides, and polyols; GFD: gluten-free diet; SCFAs: short-chain fatty acids.
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