Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019
• Publication Date: 2021-07-12T14:33:49Z
• Authors: Hannah C. Wastyk; Gabriela K. Fragi...; Dalia Perelman; Dylan Dahan; Bryan D. Merrill; Feiqiao B. Yu; Madeline Topf; Carlos G. Gonzalez; William Van Treuren; Shuo Han; Jennifer L. Robinson; Joshua E. Elias; Erica D. Sonnenburg; Christopher D. Ga...; Justin L. Sonnenburg
• Keywords: Dietary Fiber; Male; fermented food; microbiome; 03 medical and health sciences; proteomics; Humans; Inflammation; 2. Zero hunger; 0303 health sciences; fiber diet; Immunity; Biodiversity; Feeding Behavior; Middle Aged; Diet; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; 3. Good health; immune system; immune system profiling; nutrition; inflammation; Female; CyTOF; Fermented Foods; CAZymes; Signal Transduction

Diet modulates the gut microbiome, which in turn can impact the immune system. Here, we determined how two microbiota-targeted dietary interventions, plant-based fiber and fermented foods, influence the human microbiome and immune system in healthy adults. Using a 17-week randomized, prospective study (n = 18/arm) combined with -omics measurements of microbiome and host, including extensive immune profiling, we found diet-specific effects. The high-fiber diet increased microbiome-encoded glycan-degrading carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) despite stable microbial community diversity. Although cytokine response score (primary outcome) was unchanged, three distinct immunological trajectories in high-fiber consumers corresponded to baseline microbiota diversity. Alternatively, the high-fermented-food diet steadily increased microbiota diversity and decreased inflammatory markers. The data highlight how coupling dietary interventions to deep and longitudinal immune and microbiome profiling can provide individualized and population-wide insight. Fermented foods may be valuable in countering the decreased microbiome diversity and increased inflammation pervasive in industrialized society.