American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research
I haven’t read this PDF in a while, but it might be interesting to some people here. If anyone has a background in biology, I’d be interested to hear your opinions on it.
Dietary plant diversity. The self-reported dietary data suggested, unexpectedly, that the number of unique plant species that a subject consumes is associated with microbial diversity, rather than self-reported categories such as “vegan” or “omnivore”. Principal-component analysis (PCA) of FFQ responses revealed clusters associated with diet types such as “vegan.” However, these dietary clusters did not significantly relate to microbiome configurations. We therefore characterized the impact of dietary plant diversity, as measured using food frequency questionnaires and mass spectrometry, on the microbial community.
…
Plant consumption was also associated with a reduction in certain antibiotic resistance genes. Individuals who consume more than 30 types of plants per week compared to those who consume 10 or fewer plants per week had significantly reduced abundance of antibiotic resistance genes for aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol, and major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporters (antibiotic efflux pumps).
I also make bean soup and some kind of whole grain.
When I’m ready to make a meal, I combine the pre-cooked vegetables in various ways. The meal goes in a large glass bowl with a cover so I can cover it back up if I don’t finish it all at once.
You can also count things like garlic, seeds, nuts, and fruit in addition to vegetables. I listed example plant species from a day’s eating in a post on time-restricted feeding.
“The evolution of dietary and hygienic habits in Western countries is associated with a decrease in the bacteria that help in digestion. These very bacteria were also found in the Iceman, who lived 5300 years ago, and are still present in non-Westernized populations in various parts of the world. The depletion of the microbiome may be associated with the increased prevalence, in Western countries, of complex conditions like allergies, autoimmune and gastrointestinal diseases, obesity.”
…
“Changes in diet, which is now higher in fat and low in fibers, a sedentary lifestyle in an urban setting, the development of new hygiene habits and the widespread use of antibiotics and other medical products have, with no doubt, made our life safer, but impacted the delicate balance of our microbiome.”
Scientists are pushing to restore human health in Western countries by changing our diet to restore the microbial species lost over the evolution of Western diet. Researchers advocate for strategically increasing dietary fiber intake as one path forward in regaining microbial biodiversity.
)
