Gut microbial composition depends on different dietary habits just as health depends on microbial metabolism, but the association of microbiota with different diets in human populations has not yet been shown. In this work, we compared the fecal microbiota of European children (EU) and that of children from a rural African village of Burkina Faso (BF), where the diet, high in fiber content, is similar to that of early human settlements at the time of the birth of agriculture. By using high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing and biochemical analyses, we found significant differences in gut microbiota between the two groups. BF children showed a significant enrichment in Bacteroidetes and depletion in Firmicutes (P < 0.001), with a unique abundance of bacteria from the genus Prevotella and Xylanibacter, known to contain a set of bacterial genes for cellulose and xylan hydrolysis, completely lacking in the EU children. In addition, we found significantly more short-chain fatty acids (P < 0.001) in BF than in EU children. Also, Enterobacteriaceae (Shigella and Escherichia) were significantly underrepresented in BF than in EU children (P < 0.05). We hypothesize that gut microbiota coevolved with the polysaccharide-rich diet of BF individuals, allowing them to maximize energy intake from fibers while also protecting them from inflammations and noninfectious colonic diseases. This study investigates and compares human intestinal microbiota from children characterized by a modern western diet and a rural diet, indicating the importance of preserving this treasure of microbial diversity from ancient rural communities worldwide.

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Impact of diet in shaping gut microbiota revealed by a comparative study in children from Europe and rural Africa

/pdf/the-impact-of-diet-in-shaping-gut-microbiota-revealed-by-a-3gi1n03d19.pdf

The impact of diet in shaping gut microbiota revealed by a comparative study in children from Europe and Rural Africa

Intestinal microbiota metabolism of choline and phosphatidylcholine produces trimethylamine (TMA), which is further metabolized to a proatherogenic species, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). We demonstrate here that metabolism by intestinal microbiota of dietary L-carnitine, a trimethylamine abundant in red meat, also produces TMAO and accelerates atherosclerosis in mice. Omnivorous human subjects produced more TMAO than did vegans or vegetarians following ingestion of L-carnitine through a microbiota-dependent mechanism. The presence of specific bacterial taxa in human feces was associated with both plasma TMAO concentration and dietary status. Plasma L-carnitine levels in subjects undergoing cardiac evaluation (n = 2,595) predicted increased risks for both prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) and incident major adverse cardiac events (myocardial infarction, stroke or death), but only among subjects with concurrently high TMAO levels. Chronic dietary L-carnitine supplementation in mice altered cecal microbial composition, markedly enhanced synthesis of TMA and TMAO, and increased atherosclerosis, but this did not occur if intestinal microbiota was concurrently suppressed. In mice with an intact intestinal microbiota, dietary supplementation with TMAO or either carnitine or choline reduced in vivo reverse cholesterol transport. Intestinal microbiota may thus contribute to the well-established link between high levels of red meat consumption and CVD risk.

/pdf/intestinal-microbiota-metabolism-of-l-carnitine-a-nutrient-29d1epg6ww.pdf

Intestinal microbiota metabolism of L-carnitine, a nutrient in red meat, promotes atherosclerosis

http://www.enfermeraspabellonyesterilizacion.cl/eventos/glycemic-index.pdf

International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002

https://www.elpoderdelconsumidor.org/wp-content/uploads/Am-J-Clin-Nutr-2006-Malik-274-88.pdf

Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: a systematic review

http://wealthandhealth.ltd.uk/over100/origins%20of%20western%20diet.pdf

Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century

Glycemic index and obesity

Diabetes has long been viewed as a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism due to its hallmark feature of hyperglycemia. Indeed, hyperglycemia is the cause of the acute symptoms associated with diabetes such as polydypsia, polyuria, and polyphagia (1). The long-term complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy) associated with diabetes are also believed to result from chronically elevated blood glucose levels (2–6). In addition, hyperglycemia may contribute to the development of macrovascular disease, which is associated with the development of coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death in individuals with diabetes (7–9). Thus, a primary goal in the management of diabetes is the regulation of blood glucose to achieve near-normal blood glucose.

Blood glucose concentration following a meal is determined by the rate of appearance of glucose into the blood stream (absorption) and its clearance/disappearance from the circulation (10). The rate of disappearance of glucose is largely influenced by insulin secretion and its action on target tissues (11).

The component of the diet that has the greatest influence on blood glucose is carbohydrate. Other macronutrients in the diet, i.e., fat and protein, can influence the postprandial blood glucose level, however. For example, dietary fat slows glucose absorption, delaying the peak glycemic response to the ingestion of a food that contains glucose (12–14). In addition, although glucose is the primary stimulus for insulin release, protein/amino acids augment insulin release when ingested with carbohydrate, thereby increasing the clearance of glucose from the blood (15–17).

Both the quantity and the type or source of carbohydrate found in foods influence postprandial glucose level (18,19). Although most experts agree that the total carbohydrate intake from a meal or snack is a relatively reliable predictor of postprandial blood glucose (18,20–22), the impact …

https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/diacare/27/9/2266.full.pdf

Janette C. Brand-Miller

Papers

International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002

Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century

Glycemic index and obesity

Dietary carbohydrate (amount and type) in the prevention and management of diabetes: a statement by the american diabetes association.

Acne Vulgaris - A disease of western civilisation