Changes to the gut microbiome are known to affect metabolic health. Physiologists at Laval University in Canada have discovered that diets containing low fiber and high fat cause significant shifts in the composition of the gut microbiome—the collection of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other multicellular microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal system. The study is published in the American Journal of Physiology—Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology.
Researchers used a mouse model to determine the key dietary factors affecting the gut microbiome and how they contribute to obesity and other metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Mice were fed varying levels of low-fiber, high-fat diets, which changed their gut microbiome.