Vegan Diet and the Gut Microbiota Composition in Healthy Adults
The human gut microbiota are the microorganisms (generally bacteria and archaea) that live in the digestive tracts of humans. Due to their numerous functions, the gut microbiota can be considered a virtual organ of the body, playing a pivotal role in health maintenance. Dietary habits contribute to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2402 |
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| author | Emily A. Losno Katharina Sieferle Federico J. Armando Perez-Cueto Christian Ritz |
| author_facet | Emily A. Losno Katharina Sieferle Federico J. Armando Perez-Cueto Christian Ritz |
| author_sort | Emily A. Losno |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The human gut microbiota are the microorganisms (generally bacteria and archaea) that live in the digestive tracts of humans. Due to their numerous functions, the gut microbiota can be considered a virtual organ of the body, playing a pivotal role in health maintenance. Dietary habits contribute to gut microbiota composition, and evidence from observational and intervention studies suggest that vegan diets may promote health, potentially through affecting the diverse ecosystem of beneficial bacteria in the gut. A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus to identify studies investigating the microbiota composition in vegans. Vegans are defined as people excluding food products that are derived from animals from their diet. Nine observational studies were identified. The main outcome of the systematic review was an increase in Bacteroidetes on the phylum level and a higher abundance of <i>Prevotella</i> on the genus level. In conclusion, the present systematic literature review highlighted some benefits of a vegan diet but also demonstrated the complexity of evaluating results from gut microbiota research. The available evidence only consisted of cross-sectional studies, therefore suggesting the need for well-designed randomised controlled trials. Furthermore, the quality assessment of the studies included in the review suggested a lack of standardised and validated methods for participant selection as well as for faecal sampling and faecal analysis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:29:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-902408279589432a92821ec6f3662263 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:29:39Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-902408279589432a92821ec6f36622632023-11-22T04:36:56ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-07-01137240210.3390/nu13072402Vegan Diet and the Gut Microbiota Composition in Healthy AdultsEmily A. Losno0Katharina Sieferle1Federico J. Armando Perez-Cueto2Christian Ritz3Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, DenmarkDepartment of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, DenmarkDepartment of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, DenmarkDepartment of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, DenmarkThe human gut microbiota are the microorganisms (generally bacteria and archaea) that live in the digestive tracts of humans. Due to their numerous functions, the gut microbiota can be considered a virtual organ of the body, playing a pivotal role in health maintenance. Dietary habits contribute to gut microbiota composition, and evidence from observational and intervention studies suggest that vegan diets may promote health, potentially through affecting the diverse ecosystem of beneficial bacteria in the gut. A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus to identify studies investigating the microbiota composition in vegans. Vegans are defined as people excluding food products that are derived from animals from their diet. Nine observational studies were identified. The main outcome of the systematic review was an increase in Bacteroidetes on the phylum level and a higher abundance of <i>Prevotella</i> on the genus level. In conclusion, the present systematic literature review highlighted some benefits of a vegan diet but also demonstrated the complexity of evaluating results from gut microbiota research. The available evidence only consisted of cross-sectional studies, therefore suggesting the need for well-designed randomised controlled trials. Furthermore, the quality assessment of the studies included in the review suggested a lack of standardised and validated methods for participant selection as well as for faecal sampling and faecal analysis.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2402gut microbiotavegan dietplant-based dietgut bacteriasystematic review |
| spellingShingle | Emily A. Losno Katharina Sieferle Federico J. Armando Perez-Cueto Christian Ritz Vegan Diet and the Gut Microbiota Composition in Healthy Adults Nutrients gut microbiota vegan diet plant-based diet gut bacteria systematic review |
| title | Vegan Diet and the Gut Microbiota Composition in Healthy Adults |
| title_full | Vegan Diet and the Gut Microbiota Composition in Healthy Adults |
| title_fullStr | Vegan Diet and the Gut Microbiota Composition in Healthy Adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vegan Diet and the Gut Microbiota Composition in Healthy Adults |
| title_short | Vegan Diet and the Gut Microbiota Composition in Healthy Adults |
| title_sort | vegan diet and the gut microbiota composition in healthy adults |
| topic | gut microbiota vegan diet plant-based diet gut bacteria systematic review |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2402 |
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