0
0
Nutritionists generally advocate for increased dietary fiber consumption, but new research from Cornell University suggests that its health benefits may vary from person to person. The study, published in the journal Gut Microbes, indicates that dietary recommendations should be personalized based on an individual’s gut microbiome.
The research specifically examined resistant starch, a type of dietary fiber present in foods like bread, cereals, green bananas, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, and potatoes. The researchers discovered that the impact of resistant starch on health differs among individuals, with some people experiencing significant benefits while others see little to no effect.
This variation is linked to the diversity and composition of a person’s gut microbiome. “Precision nutrition definitely has a use in determining what dietary fiber we should tell people to eat,” said Angela Poole, assistant professor of molecular nutrition and senior author of the study. Poole emphasized the need for personalized dietary advice, noting, “We’ve had public messaging advising people to eat more dietary fiber for decades. At the same time, less than 10% of people eat the recommended intake.”
The study involved 59 participants who underwent three different dietary treatments over seven weeks. The findings underscore the potential of precision nutrition to optimize dietary fiber intake by tailoring recommendations to individual gut microbiome profiles.
The research was supported by the President’s Council of Cornell Women and the National Institutes of Health, highlighting the growing recognition of the need for personalized nutrition strategies. As Poole stated, “A better strategy would be to collect data on each person and tell them which dietary fiber they can eat to get the most bang for their buck.”
This study marks a significant step toward more effective dietary recommendations, potentially transforming public health messaging and individual health outcomes.
