Research Breakthroughs in Medicine and Nutrition
Which diet is best for our gut and overall health?
We recognise the crucial role of the gut and the food we eat in determining good health. UCC researchers, also from its leading gut health centre, APC, have recently published a milestone review in Nature Reviews Microbiology of the most popular diets, to understand and their impact specifically on the gut microbiome but also on our wider health.
The review outlines that the Mediterranean diet is one of the most beneficial diets, resulting in reduced body weight and benefits for the heart. It increases short-chain fatty acid production as well as anti-inflammatory molecules. The high-fibre diet is important in combatting inflammation and preventing diabetes. A plant-based diet rich in polyphenols is associated with increased beneficial microorganisms in the gut, and increased short-chain fatty acids.
Some diets are less positive for gut health. A high-protein diet produces branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs), indoles and short peptides, which can increase inflammation and increase the risk of colon cancer. The ketogenic diet is sometimes recommended for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, obesity and epilepsy, but owing to the decrease in beneficial gut microbiota and the promotion of pro-inflammatory and pathogenic gut bacteria, it may cause inflammation. A Western diet is associated with bacteria that increase metabolic disorders and chronic inflammation.
“The review offers valuable insights for consumers, the food industry, and healthcare professionals, guiding them in making informed decisions about diet and health,” says lead author Catherine Stanton, a UCC Research Professor and Senior Principal Research Officer at Teagasc. “Understanding how different diets affect the gut microbiome also provides a foundation for developing targeted nutritional therapies and improving public health outcomes.”
The review is published in Nature Reviews Microbiology and is available to read online: The interplay between diet and the gut microbiome: implications for health and disease.