Interindividual variability in gut microbiota and host response to dietary interventions

Abstract

Dysbiosis is linked to human disease; therefore, gut microbiota modulation strategies provide an attractive means of correcting microbial imbalance to enhance human health. Because diet has a major influence on the composition, diversity, and metabolic capacity of the gut microbiota, numerous dietary intervention studies have been conducted to manipulate the gut microbiota to improve host outcomes and reduce disease risk. Emerging evidence suggests that interindividual variability in gut microbiota and host responsiveness exists, making it difficult to predict gut microbiota and host response to a given dietary intervention. This may, in turn, have implications on the consistency of results among studies and the perceived success or true efficacy of a dietary intervention in eliciting beneficial changes to the gut microbiota and human health.

Keywords: gut microbiota; habitual dietary intake; host outcomes; interindividual variability; responsiveness.