Session : The Gut Microbiota and Personalized Nutrition

Abstract to come.

Our dietary choices have a direct impact on our gut microbiota, which in turn plays a crucial role in influencing our overall health. This intricate interplay between diet, the microbiota, and the human body hinges on the exchange and alteration of metabolites. We seek to understand several key aspects of this relationship: What is the impact of diet on the microbiota and the circulating metabolome? Over what specific timeframes do these dynamic interactions occur? And how do the effects on both the microbiome and the metabolome compare between the typical Canadian diet and a diet inspired by the Mediterranean region?

The effects of probiotics on premature infants are not well understood. In a randomized intervention trial, we show that a multi-strain probiotic mix accelerated microbiome maturation to resemble that of full-term infants and improved the metabolic and immune parameters, highlighting the critical ecological role of these species in the early life microbiome. 

71% of consumers globally believe microbial cultures or probiotics have a positive impact on health. Digestive health is the most common health area that consumers are looking to address when taking probiotics but as science and technology progresses, our understanding of probiotics and their wide range of health benefits also expands. Weizmannia (Bacillus) coagulans GBI-30, 6086 (BC30) is a spore-forming, patented probiotic ingredient that can be formulated into almost any food, beverage or companion animal product. It is a highly stable probiotic with the ability to survive harsh manufacturing processes, product shelf-life and the journey through the digestive system. The strain is supported by more than 45 published research papers confirming it’s safety, efficacy and ability to support health benefits such as digestive health, immune health and protein absorption. During this presentation, you will learn more about BC30 with a deep dive into the science behind its digestive and protein absorption scientific research.

Introduction : The contribution of diet to metabolic health is well recognized, but a new player is also thought to have an important effect: the gut microbiota. Since its composition depends on the host’s diet and metabolism, metabolic health is not determined by specific factors, but by a complex network of interactions between diet, microbiota and metabolism. The aim of this project is to gain a better understanding of this trialogue.

Method : In a longitudinal study, 21 participants received a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) for 3 days, a 13-day lead-in controlled diet reflecting the average Canadian dietary intake (CanDiet), and once again a MedDiet for 3 consecutive days. Fecal and blood samples were taken at each change of diet in the protocol for analysis.

Results : On the 1261 circulating metabolites detected, 92 exhibited an immediate and reversible response to the dietary intervention, while 55 metabolites displayed non-reversible changes after 3 days of MedDiet following CanDiet. Functional analysis using the KEGG database revealed the significant impact of dietary interventions, primarily on the histidine metabolic pathway. Interestingly, certain metabolites showed interindividual variation, suggesting significant differences among participants. Furthermore, out of the 64 bacterial genera comprising over 1% of the gut microbiota, 56 genera exhibited strong correlations with an average of 5 metabolites each. Using a random forest algorithm, we successfully differentiated dietary interventions by metabolites that are modulated by diet. Moreover, this same algorithm applied to the visit preceding the study distinguishes participants according to their dietary habits, primarily by their consumption of saturated, unsaturated and total fatty acids.

Conclusion : This study highlights the importance of considering diet in studies looking at the relationship between gut microbiota and metabolism. Moreover, metabolic profile analysis must consider the uniqueness of metabolites.

How to introduce new food products (e.g., probiotics, fermented foods, etc.) that can impact the microbiota and digestive health, as well as the challenges surrounding personalized nutrition (where are we, what is the evidence, new tools in nutrigenetics, epigenetics, bioinformatics, etc., and perspectives).