DISENTANGLING THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOOD MICROBIOTA AND GUT MICROBIOME: AN UPDATE

The relationship between food and gut microbiota is complex and multifaceted, playing a significant role in human health. Food like fermented foods can contain indigenous beneficial microbes, microbial metabolites, and other bioactives, which are harnessed to target gut microbiota and play a significant role in human health and well-being. Therefore, food microbiota can offer an affordable dietary intervention strategy being involved in the reduction of a risk factor such as cholesterol and trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) and the production of healthimproving factors such as folate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), exopolysaccharides (EPS), short-chain fatty acids, etc. On the other hand, it has to be considered that probiotics exhibit significant variability in their engraftment within the gut microbial community, occurring in some subjects but not in others. Studying the interaction between food and gut microbiome is becoming increasingly crucial in this scenario. As basic research continues to unveil the effects of various novel dietary components and their microbial byproducts on the gut microbiome, the extent of their efficacy in enhancing gut health and addressing gastrointestinal diseases awaits clarification through population studies employing the microbiome, probiotics, and epidemiology approach.