Towards Gut Microbiome-Based Stratification of Dietary Intervention Strategies

Samenvatting (Engelstalig)

Emerging evidence has suggested that the collection of microbes in our digestive system, called the gut microbiome, plays an essential role in human health and well-being. Dietary intervention has been recognised as a robust modulation strategy targeting the gut microbiome with the ambition to prevent or treat disorders/diseases and eventually improve human health and quality of life. However, due to the considerable inter-individual variability between subjects, especially in the gut microbiome, universal dietary recommendations (e.g., increasing fibre intake) demonstrated to have different effects in different subjects, with only a fraction of subjects benefiting from it. Using faecal samples taken from healthy individuals and patients with gut diseases, this thesis aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of identifying those who could benefit from certain dietary interventions based on their gut microbiome signatures. The findings contribute to paving the way for personalised nutrition.