Metabolic Nutrition: Diet–Microbiota Interactions in Obesity and Inflammation

Dear Colleagues,

The rise in obesity and related diseases is linked to chronic low-grade inflammation. Studies highlight the importance of diet–microbiota interactions in the development of obesity and inflammation. The consequences of obesity result not only from issues with calorie balance but also from gut microbial dysbiosis—an imbalance in the intestinal microbiota associated with increased energy extraction, gut permeability, and inflammation, factors that contribute to metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and NAFLD/MASLD.

Diet is a well-established factor that influences the structure and function of the gut microbiome. Consuming foods high in fats and sugars tends to increase the pro-inflammatory state. In contrast, consuming a diet rich in fiber helps to support beneficial microbes that produce short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids play a crucial role in maintaining gut barrier health, supporting immune responses, and regulating energy metabolism. Nutrition in early life, such as breastfeeding and initial dietary habits, sets the stage for lifelong microbial patterns that can influence the risk of obesity, highlighting important periods for preventive care. Personalized nutrition based on an individual microbiome offers exciting possibilities for targeted health interventions. Additionally, using probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics together can further enhance body composition and reduce inflammation across diverse populations.

Despite these advances, critical gaps persist. This Special Issue, therefore, invites cutting-edge contributions spanning molecular, clinical, and computational perspectives. We invite original research, reviews, meta-analyses, brief communications, and methodological papers exploring the following:

The rise in obesity and related diseases is linked to chronic low-grade inflammation. Studies highlight the importance of diet–microbiota interactions in the development of obesity and inflammation. The consequences of obesity result not only from issues with calorie balance but also from gut microbial dysbiosis—an imbalance in the intestinal microbiota associated with increased energy extraction, gut permeability, and inflammation, factors that contribute to metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and NAFLD/MASLD.

Diet is a well-established factor that influences the structure and function of the gut microbiome. Consuming foods high in fats and sugars tends to increase the pro-inflammatory state. In contrast, consuming a diet rich in fiber helps to support beneficial microbes that produce short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids play a crucial role in maintaining gut barrier health, supporting immune responses, and regulating energy metabolism. Nutrition in early life, such as breastfeeding and initial dietary habits, sets the stage for lifelong microbial patterns that can influence the risk of obesity, highlighting important periods for preventive care. Personalized nutrition based on an individual microbiome offers exciting possibilities for targeted health interventions. Additionally, using probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics together can further enhance body composition and reduce inflammation across diverse populations.

Despite these advances, critical gaps persist. This Special Issue, therefore, invites cutting-edge contributions spanning molecular, clinical, and computational perspectives. We invite original research, reviews, meta-analyses, brief communications, and methodological papers exploring the following:

1. Impacts of dietary components or patterns on gut microbiota and their effects on obesity and inflammation;
2. Mechanisms via which gut microbiota influences host metabolism and inflammatory pathways;
3. Interventions targeting gut microbiota (e.g., diet, probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation) to prevent or treat obesity and inflammation;
4. Diet–microbiota interactions across life stages, particularly in children and adolescents;
5. Translational research, including personalized nutrition based on microbiota profiling;
6. Leveraging multi-omics, machine learning, or systems biology to integrate diet, microbiome, and host phenotypes.

Prof. Dr. Catherine Chan
Dr. Emad Yuzbashian
Guest Editors

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• nutrition
• dietary intake
• microbiome
• inflammation