The gut microbiome ― the community of trillions of bacteria living in the digestive tract ― plays a significant role in the health of the digestive, nervous and immune systems, among other biological systems. These microbes can either aid or prevent weight loss. Diet is one of the main lifestyle factors influencing the makeup of bacteria in the gut, and research has shown that even short-term dietary changes (switching to either a meat-based or plant-based diet) can alter the gut microbial community.
A Tale Of 2 Microbiomes
For the study, the researchers first compared fecal samples of people who followed a calorie-restricted, plant-based healthy diet with those of people with a high-calorie, standard American diet.