The Mediterranean Diets’ effect on Gut Microbial Composition in comparison with the Western Diet: A literature review

Author(s):  
Ioannis-Nektarios Elmaliklis ◽  
Spyridon Konteles ◽  
Antonios E. Koutelidakis

Background: In recent years, the scientific interest about the possible role of dietary attitudes on gut microbiota modulation has been increasing. Objective: The present literature review aimed to analyze the effect of Mediterranean diet adoption on gut microbial composition, in comparison with the Western diet. Method: From an initial number of 38, 21 recent studies were selected using comprehensive scientific databases and relative keywords, such as microbial composition, dietary attitudes, and beneficial effects. The selected studies were recently published based on animal models, human interventional trials, metanalyses and gut microbiome analysis, such as metagenomics. Results: According to the basic findings of the present review study, Mediterranean diet adherence leads to a gut microbial richness and richer diversity as well as a higher abundance of genera Lactobacillus, Faecalibacterium, Oscillospira, Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium species, that stimulate the production of total short-chain fatty acids. This diet also leads to a lower Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes ratio due to the increase of Bacteroidetes and decrease of Firmicutes, accompanied by a decrease of circulating Trimethylamine N oxide levels and a reduction in abundance of Ruminococcus, Lachnospiraceae, Proteobacteria and Coprococcus, in comparison to the Western diet. Conclusion: Further understanding of the multifactorial effect of both Mediterranean and Western diet on gut microbiota could allow the establishment of nutritional educational programs and nutritional policies with aim to improve human health by modulating gut microbial composition.

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Borzì ◽  
Antonio Biondi ◽  
Francesco Basile ◽  
Salvatore Luca ◽  
Enzo Vicari ◽  
...  

Colorectal cancer is the fourth cause of cancer-related death worldwide. A Mediterranean diet showed protective action against colorectal cancer due to the intake of different substances. Olive oil is a fundamental component of the Mediterranean diet. Olive oil is rich in high-value health compounds (such as monounsaturated free fatty acids, squalene, phytosterols, and phenols). Phenolic compounds exert favourable effects on free radicals, inflammation, gut microbiota, and carcinogenesis. The interaction between gut microbiota and olive oil consumption could modulate colonic microbial composition or activity, with a possible role in cancer prevention. Gut microbiota is able to degrade some substances found in olive oil, producing active metabolites with chemopreventive action. Further clinical research is needed to clarify the beneficial effects of olive oil and its components. A better knowledge of the compounds found in olive oil could lead to the development of nutritional supplements or chemotherapeutic agents with a potential in the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita H Kelleher ◽  
Angelos K Sikalidis ◽  

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is considered one of the healthiest dietary patterns due to its rich provision of phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, polyunsaturated, omega-3, and short-chain fatty acids through a variety of foods. The supply of such nutrients and bioactive components can support gut health and reduce systemic inflammation, with accumulating evidence from several human studies demonstrating the utility of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of chronic and metabolic diseases. Further studies are needed to explore the role of the Mediterranean diet protecting against such diseases and the related mechanisms, including the interplay between components of the MD and gut microbiota. This brief systematic review specifically explores the recent evidence in humans investigating the link between MD and the human microbiota. Herein, over 50 articles were revised and referenced, after a careful vetting process, to produce this manuscript. Articles were ultimately selected based upon the detail and novelty of their content and contribution to the field.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 682
Author(s):  
Serena Coppola ◽  
Carmen Avagliano ◽  
Antonio Calignano ◽  
Roberto Berni Canani

Worldwide obesity is a public health concern that has reached pandemic levels. Obesity is the major predisposing factor to comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The common forms of obesity are multifactorial and derive from a complex interplay of environmental changes and the individual genetic predisposition. Increasing evidence suggest a pivotal role played by alterations of gut microbiota (GM) that could represent the causative link between environmental factors and onset of obesity. The beneficial effects of GM are mainly mediated by the secretion of various metabolites. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate and butyrate are small organic metabolites produced by fermentation of dietary fibers and resistant starch with vast beneficial effects in energy metabolism, intestinal homeostasis and immune responses regulation. An aberrant production of SCFAs has emerged in obesity and metabolic diseases. Among SCFAs, butyrate emerged because it might have a potential in alleviating obesity and related comorbidities. Here we reviewed the preclinical and clinical data that contribute to explain the role of butyrate in this context, highlighting its crucial contribute in the diet-GM-host health axis.


2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuangyue Li ◽  
Georgios Kararigas

There has been a recent, unprecedented interest in the role of gut microbiota in host health and disease. Technological advances have dramatically expanded our knowledge of the gut microbiome. Increasing evidence has indicated a strong link between gut microbiota and the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In the present article, we discuss the contribution of gut microbiota in the development and progression of CVD. We further discuss how the gut microbiome may differ between the sexes and how it may be influenced by sex hormones. We put forward that regulation of microbial composition and function by sex might lead to sex-biased disease susceptibility, thereby offering a mechanistic insight into sex differences in CVD. A better understanding of this could identify novel targets, ultimately contributing to the development of innovative preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for men and women.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingxiong Chai ◽  
Qun Luo ◽  
Kedan Cai ◽  
Kaiyue Wang ◽  
Binbin Xu

Abstract Background: IgA nephropathy(IgAN)) is the common pathological type of glomerular diseases. The role of gut microbiota in mediating "gut-IgA nephropathy" has not received sufficient attention in the previous studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of fecal short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs), a metabolite of the intestinal microbiota, in patients with IgAN and its correlation with intestinal flora and clinical indicators, and to further investigate the role of the gut-renal axis in IgAN.Methods: There were 29 patients with IgAN and 29 normal control subjects recruited from January 2018 to May 2018. The fresh feces were collected. The fecal SCFAs were measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and gut microbiota was analysed by16S rDNA sequences, followed by estimation of α- and β-diversity. Correlation analysis was performed using the spearman’s correlation test between SCFAs and gut microbiota. Results:The levels of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid and caproic acid in the IgAN patients were significantly reduced compared with control group(P<0.05). Butyric acid(r=-0.336, P=0.010) and isobutyric acid(r=-0.298, P=0.022) were negatively correlated with urea acid; butyric acid(r=-0.316, P=0.016) was negatively correlated with urea nitrogen; caproic acid(r=-0.415,P=0.025) showed negative correlation with 24-h urine protein level.Exemplified by the results of α-diversity and β-diversity, the intestinal flora of IgAN patients was significantly different from that of the control group. Acetic acid was positively associated with c_Clostridia(r=0.357, P=0.008), o_Clostridiales(r=0.357, P=0.008) and g_Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group(r=0.283, P=0.036). Butyric acid was positively associated with g_Alistipes (r=0.278, P=0.040). The relative abundance of those were significantly decreased in IgAN group compared to control group.Conclusion: The levels of fecal SCFAs in the IgAN patients were reduced, and correlated with clinical parameters and gut microbiota, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of IgAN, and this finding may provide a new therapeutic approach.


2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 577-584
Author(s):  
G. R. Bikbavova ◽  
M. A. Livzan

In recent decades, an increase in the incidence of ulcerative colitis has been observed throughout the world. The purpose of this review is to generalize the available information on the influence of environmental factors and intestinal microbiome on the occurrence and development of ulcerative colitis, the role of bacteria metabolism products in the pathogenesis of the disease. Studied literature, we came to the conclusion that lifestyle in the era of post-industrial society has a significant impact on the microbial composition of the intestine and leads to changes in its diversity in patients suffering from ulcerative colitis. The changes include a decrease in the number of residential flora with anti-inflammatory activity, which synthesize short-chain fatty acids, and an increase in the number of potentially pathogenic and pathogenic microorganisms. Within the phylums Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, the proportional ratio changes. The combination of aggression factors (deterioration of the intestinal microbiome composition, the presence of aggressive intestinal metabolites) leads to intestinal mucosa permeability disfunction, impairing its barrier function. Food and bacterial agents can penetrate deeper layers of the intestinal wall through mucosal defects, which then stimulate the development of inflammatory and immune responses.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Mohd Baasir Gaisawat ◽  
Chad W. MacPherson ◽  
Julien Tremblay ◽  
Amanda Piano ◽  
Michèle M. Iskandar ◽  
...  

Clostridium (C.) difficile-infection (CDI), a nosocomial gastrointestinal disorder, is of growing concern due to its rapid rise in recent years. Antibiotic therapy of CDI is associated with disrupted metabolic function and altered gut microbiota. The use of probiotics as an adjunct is being studied extensively due to their potential to modulate metabolic functions and the gut microbiota. In the present study, we assessed the ability of several single strain probiotics and a probiotic mixture to change the metabolic functions of normal and C. difficile-infected fecal samples. The production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and ammonia was measured, and changes in microbial composition were assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The C. difficile-infection in fecal samples resulted in a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in SCFA and H2S production, with a lower microbial alpha diversity. All probiotic treatments were associated with significantly increased (p < 0.05) levels of SCFAs and restored H2S levels. Probiotics showed no effect on microbial composition of either normal or C. difficile-infected fecal samples. These findings indicate that probiotics may be useful to improve the metabolic dysregulation associated with C. difficile infection.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 602-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Bayes ◽  
Janet Schloss ◽  
David Sibbritt

ABSTRACT Depression is a mood disorder which currently affects 350 million individuals worldwide. Recently, research has suggested a protective role of diet for depression. The Mediterranean-style dietary pattern has been highlighted in several systematic reviews as a promising candidate for reducing depressive symptoms. It has been speculated that this could be due to the high polyphenol content of foods commonly found in the diet. Therefore, the aim of this review was to assess the effects of polyphenols found in a Mediterranean diet on the symptoms of depression. A systematic literature review was conducted of original research which assessed the role of polyphenols on the symptoms of depression in humans. The following databases were searched: PROQUEST, SCOPUS (Elsevier), MEDLINE (EBSCO), CINAHL, and EMBase, up to 18 February, 2019. The inclusion criteria consisted of both observational and experimental research in adults aged 18–80 y that assessed depression scores in relation to polyphenol intake. A total of 37 studies out of 12,084 met the full inclusion criteria. Of these, 17 were experimental studies and 20 were observational studies. Several different polyphenols were assessed including those from tea, coffee, citrus, nuts, soy, grapes, legumes, and spices. Twenty-nine of the studies found a statistically significant effect of polyphenols for depression. This review has found both an association between polyphenol consumption and depression risk, as well as evidence suggesting polyphenols can effectively alleviate depressive symptoms. The review uncovered gaps in the literature regarding the role of polyphenols for depressive symptoms in both young adults and men. This review was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO as CRD42019125747.


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