The role of the gut microbiota in diet and health

The gut microbiota, which refers to the entire microbial community of the gut and includes at least 1000 distinct bacterial species and trillions of microbes, is strongly influenced by diet and plays a pivotal role in or human health and disease as it can regulate immune, metabolic and neurologic functions. Emerging evidence suggests that diet is a crucial factor in shaping the composition, diversity and functions of the gut microbiota, which can play a key connection between diet and health. Elucidating the gut microbial signatures and pathways linking specific dietary factors and health outcomes can provide valuable insights into disease aetiology, and contribute to the development of personalized nutrition strategies and novel therapeutic targets in future.  

In the China Kadoorie Biobank study, metagenomics data on gut microbiome is available among 20,000 participants who participated in the 3rd resurvey in 2020-2021, together with a range of physical measurements and information on lifestyle factors, medical history and other health related aspects. This large and rich resource will enable us to investigate the potential relevance of different features of the gut microbiome (i.e. the diversity of microbial taxa), as well as their interplay, for a range of health conditions, including adiposity, BP, atherosclerosis, bone density, diabetes and the prevalence of chronic diseases including cardio-metabolic diseases, cancers, mental health disorders (e.g. depression and dementia).