Fiber2026-06

Association between dietary polyphenol intake and polyphenol-utilizing bacteria in healthy adults.

Wilson Stephanie M G, Oliver Andrew, Alkan Zeynep, Patil Bhimanagouda S et al. — Food & function

Summary

This study explored how the polyphenols we eat interact with the bacteria in our gut. Researchers found that consuming various polyphenols can influence which gut bacteria are present and how well they can break down these beneficial plant compounds. It suggests that our diet directly impacts the gut's ability to process polyphenols, potentially affecting our health.

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Key points

Eating polyphenols can change the types of bacteria in our gut that are capable of breaking them down.
A diverse intake of polyphenols is linked to a greater variety of genes in gut bacteria that process these compounds.
The study found specific links between certain polyphenols and an increase in particular gut bacteria.
However, overall gut microbial diversity did not change significantly with polyphenol intake.

What the study looked at

What question the study asked: This research investigated whether the polyphenols we consume through our diet are linked to the types of bacteria living in our gut and their ability to process these plant compounds. Scientists wanted to understand if dietary polyphenols influence the gut microbiome's composition and function. How it was studied: The study involved over 300 healthy adults. Researchers collected detailed dietary information about polyphenol intake from participants and analyzed their stool samples using advanced genetic sequencing. This allowed them to identify the specific bacteria present and the genes they possess for breaking down polyphenols, while also considering factors like age, sex, BMI, and fiber intake. What it found: The study revealed that consuming certain polyphenols was associated with an increased presence of specific gut bacteria known to utilize these compounds. It also showed that a wider variety of polyphenol intake was linked to a greater diversity of genes in gut bacteria responsible for polyphenol breakdown. This suggests that our diet can influence the gut microbiome's capacity to process polyphenols, particularly through hydrolysis, even if it doesn't drastically alter the overall diversity of gut bacteria.

Dietary takeaway

This research highlights that the diverse polyphenols found in plant-based foods, often alongside fiber, play a role in shaping our gut environment. To support a healthy gut microbiome capable of processing these beneficial compounds, consider incorporating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds into your daily diet. Remember, while this study offers valuable insights, it's just one piece of the puzzle, and more research is needed to draw definitive conclusions about specific dietary recommendations.

Abstract

Dietary polyphenols are bioactive compounds with a bidirectional impact on the gut microbiome; they shape the microbial community and are transformed through bacterial metabolism. However, there are limited studies pairing metagenomic and dietary data to investigate the relationship between polyphenol intake and the taxonomic and functional profiles of the human gut microbiome. We examined if dietary polyphenol intake associates with microbial composition and polyphenol utilization capacity. Healthy adults participated in a cross-sectional study balanced for age, sex, and BMI. Polyphenol intake was previously estimated by mapping multiple 24 h dietary recalls to the Food Database (FooDB). We coupled intake with microbial taxonomic and functional profiles from shotgun-sequenced fecal metagenomes ( = 313). Microbial reads were mapped to dbPUP, a database with 60 experimentally characterized, gut-associated polyphenol utilization proteins (PUPs). We assessed the relationship of polyphenol intake on microbial diversity, abundance of microbes with PUP genes, PUP gene counts, and select lipopolysaccharide (LPS) producers, accounting for age, sex, BMI, fiber intake, and diet quality. Specific polyphenols associated with an increased abundance of nine PUP-containing genera. We found 117 associations between polyphenol intake and microbial PUP genes, with 85 associations involving hydrolysis PUPs. Diversity in polyphenol intake was positively associated with diversity in PUP genes but not with microbial diversity. Lastly, we detected a positive relationship between intake of olive-related polyphenol classes and abundance of order , a producer of immunoinhibitory LPS. Dietary polyphenol intake may influence the gut microbiome's capacity for polyphenol utilization, particularly its hydrolytic activity, without impacting taxonomic diversity or composition.

View on PubMed →DOI: 10.1039/d6fo00158k