Use of dietary indices to control for diet in human gut microbiota studies
Abstract Background Environmental factors have a large influence on the composition of the human gut microbiota. One of the most influential and well-studied is host diet. To assess and interpret the impact of non-dietary factors on the gut microbiota, we endeavoured to determine the most appropriat...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Microbiome |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40168-018-0455-y |
| _version_ | 1819128867849240576 |
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| author | Ruth C. E. Bowyer Matthew A. Jackson Tess Pallister Jane Skinner Tim D. Spector Ailsa A. Welch Claire J. Steves |
| author_facet | Ruth C. E. Bowyer Matthew A. Jackson Tess Pallister Jane Skinner Tim D. Spector Ailsa A. Welch Claire J. Steves |
| author_sort | Ruth C. E. Bowyer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Environmental factors have a large influence on the composition of the human gut microbiota. One of the most influential and well-studied is host diet. To assess and interpret the impact of non-dietary factors on the gut microbiota, we endeavoured to determine the most appropriate method to summarise community variation attributable to dietary effects. Dietary habits are multidimensional with internal correlations. This complexity can be simplified by using dietary indices that quantify dietary variance in a single measure and offer a means of controlling for diet in microbiota studies. However, to date, the applicability of different dietary indices to gut microbiota studies has not been assessed. Here, we use food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data from members of the TwinsUK cohort to create three different dietary measures applicable in western-diet populations: The Healthy Eating Index (HEI), the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) and the Healthy Food Diversity index (HFD-Index). We validate and compare these three indices to determine which best summarises dietary influences on gut microbiota composition. Results All three indices were independently validated using established measures of health, and all were significantly associated with microbiota measures; the HEI had the highest t values in models of alpha diversity measures, and had the highest number of associations with microbial taxa. Beta diversity analyses showed the HEI explained the greatest variance of microbiota composition. In paired tests between twins discordant for dietary index score, the HEI was associated with the greatest variation of taxa and twin dissimilarity. Conclusions We find that the HEI explains the most variance in, and has the strongest association with, gut microbiota composition in a western (UK) population, suggesting that it may be the best summary measure to capture gut microbiota variance attributable to habitual diet in comparable populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T08:34:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b06cf55598f14ea7a8cfb22f152e5314 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2049-2618 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T08:34:39Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbiome |
| spelling | doaj.art-b06cf55598f14ea7a8cfb22f152e53142022-12-21T18:32:24ZengBMCMicrobiome2049-26182018-04-016111110.1186/s40168-018-0455-yUse of dietary indices to control for diet in human gut microbiota studiesRuth C. E. Bowyer0Matthew A. Jackson1Tess Pallister2Jane Skinner3Tim D. Spector4Ailsa A. Welch5Claire J. Steves6The Department of Twin Research, Kings College LondonThe Department of Twin Research, Kings College LondonThe Department of Twin Research, Kings College LondonNorwich Medical School 2.02, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East AngliaThe Department of Twin Research, Kings College LondonNorwich Medical School 2.02, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East AngliaThe Department of Twin Research, Kings College LondonAbstract Background Environmental factors have a large influence on the composition of the human gut microbiota. One of the most influential and well-studied is host diet. To assess and interpret the impact of non-dietary factors on the gut microbiota, we endeavoured to determine the most appropriate method to summarise community variation attributable to dietary effects. Dietary habits are multidimensional with internal correlations. This complexity can be simplified by using dietary indices that quantify dietary variance in a single measure and offer a means of controlling for diet in microbiota studies. However, to date, the applicability of different dietary indices to gut microbiota studies has not been assessed. Here, we use food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data from members of the TwinsUK cohort to create three different dietary measures applicable in western-diet populations: The Healthy Eating Index (HEI), the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) and the Healthy Food Diversity index (HFD-Index). We validate and compare these three indices to determine which best summarises dietary influences on gut microbiota composition. Results All three indices were independently validated using established measures of health, and all were significantly associated with microbiota measures; the HEI had the highest t values in models of alpha diversity measures, and had the highest number of associations with microbial taxa. Beta diversity analyses showed the HEI explained the greatest variance of microbiota composition. In paired tests between twins discordant for dietary index score, the HEI was associated with the greatest variation of taxa and twin dissimilarity. Conclusions We find that the HEI explains the most variance in, and has the strongest association with, gut microbiota composition in a western (UK) population, suggesting that it may be the best summary measure to capture gut microbiota variance attributable to habitual diet in comparable populations.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40168-018-0455-yMicrobiomeMicrobiotaDietary IndexDietary covariateHuman microbiotaFood frequency questionnaire |
| spellingShingle | Ruth C. E. Bowyer Matthew A. Jackson Tess Pallister Jane Skinner Tim D. Spector Ailsa A. Welch Claire J. Steves Use of dietary indices to control for diet in human gut microbiota studies Microbiome Microbiome Microbiota Dietary Index Dietary covariate Human microbiota Food frequency questionnaire |
| title | Use of dietary indices to control for diet in human gut microbiota studies |
| title_full | Use of dietary indices to control for diet in human gut microbiota studies |
| title_fullStr | Use of dietary indices to control for diet in human gut microbiota studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Use of dietary indices to control for diet in human gut microbiota studies |
| title_short | Use of dietary indices to control for diet in human gut microbiota studies |
| title_sort | use of dietary indices to control for diet in human gut microbiota studies |
| topic | Microbiome Microbiota Dietary Index Dietary covariate Human microbiota Food frequency questionnaire |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40168-018-0455-y |
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