Gut Talk Series: The impact of diet on the development of gut microbiome

Diet is known to be a driver of microbiome variation, and yet the precise mechanisms by which certain dietary components modulate the microbiome, and by which the microbiome produces byproducts and secondary metabolites from dietary components, are not well-understood. Introduction of complementary foods at the age of four to six months is linked with rapid diversification of the gut microbiota. As infant’s gut microbiome develops, adult-typical species gradually appear, the abundance of Bacteroides increases and levels of bifidobacteria gradually decrease. It seems that types of foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes  and grains (with considerable content of fibers and complex carbohydrates) have more influence in microbiome composition than the nutrients per se.