Diet influences the composition and function of the intestinal microbiota, and in turn these microorganisms can change the health-promoting properties of food, so that they can explain why people respond differently to the same food. Although a tomato is a tomato, it does not benefit the same way. So why will we continue to recommend it for everyone?
This question is the core of a recent assessment that is co-author of Yolanda SanzFull professor of the Spanish research council (CSIC) of the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA), and Patrick Veigaresearch director at the Micalis Institute and Metagenopolis in Inrae, Published in nature reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology. In it they emphasize how microbiota research clears the way for precision feeding, a step forward from one-size-fits-all food guidelines.
In this review you investigate the relationship between food and microbiome-a two-way street and you strengthen a concept that has been in the field for several years: there is no one-size-fits-all diet.
Sanz: What makes this review special is that we are not just talking about it [gut microbiome-diet] Associations more. We go to mechanisms and causality – and more importantly, opposite Translate science into practical tools to improve public health.
Are the current food guidelines valid?
Sanz: Until now, those guidelines and recommendations for healthy diets, based on the intake of specific foods set by competent national bodies in each country, have not considered what research into the microbiome contributes.
In the article you emphasize the case of fiber and the universal recommendation of 20 to 35 grams per day for adults.
Veiga: fiber recommendations are still based on intestinal movement data from decades ago. The standard 25 grams per day was determined when we only thought about digestion and local effects on the intestine. Today we suspect that More than the recommended intake may be needed To better prevent chronic diseases – but we don’t have enough data to confirm this, especially because most people eat only 20 grams a day. So we cannot yet determine how many fiber would be optimal to protect you against non-transferable diseases-such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic airway disorders and cancer and to what extent fiber type is important.
Sanz: Fiber is an overarching term for a diverse group of substances that cannot be digested in the small intestine. Different types (of fiber) behave differently, and not everyone is the same. For people with inflammatory disorders such as those from Crohn, some fibers can help, while others can worsen the symptoms. This nuance is not reflected in the current general recommendations that are intended for the general healthy population.
Does the same apply to fermented food?
Veiga: We know that we are being exposed to non-pathogenic germs and microbes stimulate your immune system, but we do not yet have the data in different groups of people to confirm and define how many living non-pathogenic microbes of nonsense that are included in fermented foods, for example, must consume every day, or how this can vary over populations. We also have proof that people’s microbiome responds differently to fermented foods – some are tolerant, others are resistant. So that is why we cannot give the same recommendation for the entire population, and we really have to stratify people -based on factors such as gender, age, socio -economic status and diet, among other things. In the newspaper, We argue for stratified precision feeding, which is not a personalized food.
What is the difference?
Veiga: Personalized food focuses on the individualWhich is very strong and relevant for the medical field because it can save lives, but it is not scalable for entire populations. Instead means making subgroups Based on factors such as Microbiota composition To give better nutritional advice at the level of public health.
Do we have enough scientific knowledge to do it?
Veiga: In the near future there are some studies that will help us bridge this gap. The French intestinal project that we have launched in France, for example, will collect microbiome and nutritional data from 100,000 people and will follow the health of the population for more than 20 years, with the aim of identifying biomarkers who can predict who benefits. Hopefully we will be able to understand why some subgroups of people are more protected against diseases compared to others and whether their microbiome plays a role in this. We focus on Identifying measurable indicators or drawing that reflect what is happening in the body (biomarkers) who will help us distinguish it subgroups That can be in danger and maybe Take advantage of the recommendations for precision feeding.
Sanz: We also have to study more How diet ill versus healthy people. This is largely lacking and can help food for people with chronic disorders. “
Can you give us a real-world example?
Sanz: Take polyphenols, which are naturally common connections that are found in vegetable food, such as fruit, vegetables, herbs, herbs, tea and dark chocolate: they are considered favorable for health, but their effects depend on how your intestinal microbiota transforms them. That is why two people, even healthy, can respond very differently to the same polyphenol.
Veiga: We are just starting to discover how the Microbiota is the health effects of food componentsFor better or worse. It is time for our dietary recommendations to reflect this complexity.
Time is also important. Our intestinal bacteria love regularity.
Veiga: If you have genes, your intestinal bacteria also have a biological clock. So if you have lunch daily in the afternoon, both your genes and microbiota prepare. Regular food is really important.
How do you introduce the doctor’s visit in the future?
Veiga and Sanz: in the future, Your doctor can analyze your microbiota in the same way as they check your cholesterol. And if your microbiota, for example, produces certain metabolites related to the cardiovascular risk, such as TMAO, they can say: “Look, you have a little cardiovascular risk because your cholesterol is high, but moreover you are TMA-related metabolites-Dus try to avoid it and that specific foods.Use the microbiota to lead exactly in diet decisions.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Reference:
Sanz Y, Cryan JF, Deschasaux-Tanguy M, et al. The intestinal microbiome connects nutrition and human health. Nat Reef Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2025; 22 (8): 534-555. Two: 10.1038/S41575-025-01077-5.
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