Diet-microbiota interactions as moderators of human metabolism

Worldwide, obesity has more than doubled since 1980 according to the World Health Organization. In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight, and over 600 million of those people [...]
It is widely accepted that obesity and associated metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, are intimately linked to diet. However, the gut microbiota has also become a focus for research at the intersection of diet and metabolic health. Mechanisms that link the gut microbiota with obesity are coming to light through a powerful combination of translation-focused animal models and studies in humans. A body of knowledge is accumulating that points to the gut microbiota as a mediator of dietary impact on the host metabolic status. Efforts are focusing on the establishment of causal relationships in people and the prospect of therapeutic interventions such as personalized nutrition.