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Foods
Special Issues
Impacts of Diet–Gut Microbiota Interactions on Health
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Impacts of Diet–Gut Microbiota Interactions on Health

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 2409

Editors

Dr. Peng Du

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: probiotics; microorganisms; fermentation; food processing; intestinal flora; metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Aili Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: probiotics; microorganisms; fermentation; food processing; gut immunology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Diet represents a primary environmental factor shaping the composition, diversity, and functional capacity of the gut microbiota, which in turn exerts profound regulatory effects on host health. This review summarizes the bidirectional interactions between dietary patterns and gut microbial communities, emphasizing how macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids) and bioactive compounds (polyphenols and prebiotics) modulate microbial taxonomic profiles and metabolic outputs. Key mechanisms include the production of short-chain fatty acids, the regulation of intestinal barrier integrity, and crosstalk with the gut–brain axis, which collectively influence metabolic, immunological, and neurological health outcomes. Dysregulation of diet–microbiota interactions is implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease. Understanding these complex relationships provides critical insights for developing dietary strategies, functional foods, and microbiota-targeted interventions to promote host health and prevent diet-related disorders. Future research should focus on personalized nutrition approaches tailored to individual microbial signatures for precision health management.

Dr. Peng Du
Prof. Dr. Aili Li
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • diet-gut microbiota interaction
  • gut microbiota
  • dietary patterns
  • host health
  • microbial metabolism
  • short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)
  • intestinal barrier
  • chronic diseases
  • dietary intervention
  • personalized nutrition

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 9567 KB  
Article
Diet-Associated Gut Bacterial Microbiota and Metabolome Signatures Linked to Fermented Food Intake in Healthy Postmenopausal Women
by Natthanan Buranavanitvong, Chayaporn Thanthithum, Kanyarat Kanyakam, Dalila Azzout-Marniche, Delphine Jouan-Rimbaud Bouveresse, Nattida Chotechuang and Cheunjit Prakitchaiwattana
Foods 2026, 15(7), 1210; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15071210 - 2 Apr 2026
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Abstract
Long-term adherence to plant-based diets can modify gut bacterial microbiota composition and metabolite profiles, which may be particularly relevant for postmenopausal women who frequently adopt such diets and experience age-related changes in nutrient absorption and metabolism. Fermented foods, commonly consumed in vegetarian diets, [...] Read more.
Long-term adherence to plant-based diets can modify gut bacterial microbiota composition and metabolite profiles, which may be particularly relevant for postmenopausal women who frequently adopt such diets and experience age-related changes in nutrient absorption and metabolism. Fermented foods, commonly consumed in vegetarian diets, enhance dietary diversity and nutritional quality. This study compared gut bacterial microbiota and fecal metabolomes between vegetarians (VGs) and omnivores (OMs) and evaluated the contribution of fermented food intake. Thirty-two healthy postmenopausal Thai women (>55 years; 16 VGs, 16 OMs) were enrolled. Gut bacterial microbiota and fecal metabolites were analyzed using 16S rRNA metagenomic and untargeted 1H-NMR metabolomics. The five most frequently consumed fermented foods were microbiologically characterized. Fermented food consumption was found to be significantly different between groups. OM participants reported infrequent consumption (<10% per week), whereas VG participants consumed fermented foods daily, often in multiple forms (>60% of weekly meals). VG participants exhibited enrichment of Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, and Blautia, while OM participants showed higher abundances of Bacteroides and Escherichia–Shigella. LEfSe identified Weissella as a bacterial taxon associated with the VG group. Functional prediction and metabolomic analyses indicated enhanced carbohydrate fermentation and increased short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in VGs, whereas OM profiles reflected greater protein catabolism. Fermented foods consumed by VGs shared microbial biomarkers with the VG gut bacterial microbiota and were rich in SCFAs and essential amino acids, supporting their potential role as microbial and metabolic contributors within the gut ecosystem and nutritional adequacy in postmenopausal vegetarians. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Diet–Gut Microbiota Interactions on Health)
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Review

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21 pages, 2904 KB  
Review
Gut Microbiota Modulation by Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Carrageenan: Current Evidence and Health Implications
by Ana Fernandes, Débora A. Campos, Ezequiel R. Coscueta and Maria Manuela Pintado
Foods 2026, 15(8), 1437; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15081437 - 20 Apr 2026
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Abstract
The gut microbiota plays a central role in digestion, metabolism, immune regulation, and inflammatory processes, and is highly responsive to dietary factors, including food additives. With the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods, growing attention has been directed toward the long-term effects of commonly [...] Read more.
The gut microbiota plays a central role in digestion, metabolism, immune regulation, and inflammatory processes, and is highly responsive to dietary factors, including food additives. With the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods, growing attention has been directed toward the long-term effects of commonly used additives on gut health. This review examines the interactions between food additives and the gut microbiota, with a specific focus on the emulsifiers carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and carrageenan (CGN), which are widely used in processed foods. Evidence from in vitro, animal, and limited human studies indicates that both CMC and CGN can alter gut microbiota composition, disrupt intestinal barrier integrity, and promote pro-inflammatory responses, although their mechanisms of action differ. CGN has been more consistently associated with direct activation of inflammatory signalling pathways and epithelial stress, whereas CMC primarily induces microbiota-mediated effects, including altered microbial spatial organisation and mucus barrier disruption, leading to low-grade inflammation. The magnitude of these effects appears to depend on dosage, duration of exposure, and the experimental model employed. Overall, the findings summarised in this review suggest that chronic exposure to CMC and CGN may contribute to gut dysbiosis and increased inflammatory susceptibility, particularly within dietary patterns rich in ultra-processed foods. These observations highlight the need for harmonised research methodologies, more human-relevant long-term studies, and reconsideration of current food safety assessment frameworks to better account for microbiota-related outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Diet–Gut Microbiota Interactions on Health)
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