The computational
algorithm allowed for calculation of micronutrient content in different foods,
and hereby it is
possible to calculate how diet impacts the metabolism in the human gut
microbiome.
In the study it
was found that subjects with low gene counts (LGC), having a compressed gut
microbiota,
respond better to dietary intervention than subjects with a high gene count
(HGC),
due to differences
in the metabolism of the gut microbiota in the two groups.
(September 10. 2015) New
research enables "tailored" diet advice – based on our personal gut
microbiome – for persons who want to lose weight and reduce the risk of
disease. Systems biologists at Chalmers University of Technology have for the
first time successfully identified in detail how some of our most common
intestinal bacteria interact during metabolism.
The researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have
developed a mathematical calculation platform that makes it possible to predict
how different patients will respond to a modified diet, depending on how their
gut microbiome is composed.
Work has been conducted in cooperation in the context of the
EU funded project Metacardis, coordinated by professor Karine Clement at
Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition (Ican, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital,
Inserm/Sorbonne University) in Paris and also includes professor Fredrik
Bäckhed at the University of Gothenburg.
"This method allows us to begin identifying each
individual bacteria type's metabolism and thus get a handle on the basic
mechanisms in human metabolism," says Jens Nielsen, professor of systems
biology at Chalmers and head of the research team.
There can be up to 1,000 different types of bacteria and
other microorganisms in the human digestive system, many of which take part in
metabolism in one way or another. The composition of the human gut microbiome
greatly varies between individuals, for reasons that are largely unknown. However,
research over the past few years has shown that there is a connection between
some diseases and the composition of the gut microbiome.