High intake of animal-based diets may increase an individual’s susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease.
This study investigated the correlation between diets and the types of microbes found in the human gut. Using validated dietary questionnaires, researchers examined the diets of all the subjects. The gut microbial population of each subject was also assessed.
Researchers observed an abundance of bile-tolerant microbes, such as alistipes, Bilophila wadsworthia, and bacteroides, and a decreased number of plant polysaccharide-metabolizing microbes, such as roseburia, Eubacterium rectale, and Rruminococcus bromii in frequent consumers of animal-based diets. Increased activity of Bilophila wadsworthia was found to elevate the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease in this study. The findings of this study support the theory that animal-based diets may promote the development of inflammatory bowel disease.