From the desk of: Katie Meyer, Ph.D.
Everyday we learn more about how the gut microbiome may influence health. Our gut microbial community—a super-organism, with trillions of members—has been associated with obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and immune disorders, and even moods. These findings have generated enormous enthusiasm among researchers and the lay public, as they suggest a largely untapped area for health-promoting interventions. One mechanism through which the gut microbiome may affect health is through the metabolism of food and nutrients. We know that the production of some bioactive metabolites is dependent on the genetic machinery of gut microbes. We also know that individuals differ in the production of bioactive metabolites following nutrient ingestion. A critical next step is delineating the gut microbiome-specific pathways from food consumption to metabolite production to health status. This is an area of active research at the NRI, and the focus of a new scientific publication.
THE STUDY
A group at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center recently characterized individuals with respect to their blood levels of plant food metabolites and their gut microbial community. The researchers focused on enterolignans, metabolites of polyphenolic compounds (micronutrients) called lignans, found in plants. The intake of lignans, such as through the consumption of seeds and whole grains, has been associated with decreased colon and breast cancer risk. Enterolignans are some of the bioactive metabolites that may directly contribute to the health benefits of plant food-rich diets.
The production of enterolignans has large individual variability, which may reflect individual differences in the gut microbiome. To test this, the researchers compared the gut microbial community in people with different levels of enterolignans, controlling for differences in diet and other lifestyle factors. Their results revealed significant differences between features of the gut microbiome—including in the diversity of microbiota and taxonomic composition—and blood levels of one enterolignan, enterolactone, showing that enterolignan production is defined, at least in part, by an individual’s gut microbiome. These results connect differences in the gut microbial community and the presence of beneficial metabolites, illustrating the potential for the gut microbiome to influence health through the production of health-related bioactive compounds.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
This study is an example of how we will move towards a detailed understanding of the gut microbiome’s role in health status through dietary metabolites and individual differences in the health effects of diet. Ultimately, we aim to identify the specific gut microbial features related to the production of beneficial metabolites so that we can design personalized diets to optimize health and intervene at the microbiome level.
Reference: Huller MAJ, Lancaster SM, Li F, et al. Enterolignan-producing phenotypes are associated with increased gut microbial diversity and altered composition in premenopausal women in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015;24:546-554.
