Diet quality and body mass indices show opposite associations with distal gut microbiota in a low-income cohort

Abstract

In this study we assessed the extent to which diet quality and eating habits affected the composition of distal gut microbiota. Twenty six adult subjects from low-income communities with a recently established food hub were recruited, and their fecal microbiota was analyzed via interrogation of 16S rRNA gene. Among the dietary and biometric parameters recorded for each subject, age was a statistically significant contributor to microbiota composition variability. While healthy eating and body mass indices had no direct correlation between themselves, they displayed opposite effects in structuring microbiota composition. Thus, adopting healthier eating habits might potentially counteract the obesity-related shifts in gut microbial communities.