Writing in the journal Nutrients, researchers from China and Canada reported that children with relatively stable microbial trajectories over time were associated with more favorable lipid profiles.
“This study uncovered the longitudinal associations between gut microbiota, diet and host metabolic health changes, which further provides a research direction for elucidating the individualized effects of clinical dietary intervention strategies (such as fiber supplementation) on host metabolic health in the future,” they wrote, while recommending further studies to confirm the benefits.
Metabolic diseases in young people
Metabolic diseases in young people represent a major global health challenge. A 2020 study estimated that globally, about 3% of children and 5% of adolescents had metabolic syndrome, and there is a rising trend of youth-onset diabetes and obesity.
Studies suggest that risk factors include genetics, ethnicity, environmental factors in pregnancy, nutrition, hormonal changes in adolescence, physical activity and sleep, among other factors. Additionally, social determinants of health may influence young people’s susceptibility to poorer metabolic health.
Children and adolescents with type 1 and type 2 diabetes can experience complications such as cardiovascular events, renal disease, retinopathy and neuropathy, in addition to having higher rates of mortality.
Experts recommend a multidisciplinary approach that addresses modifiable risk factors such as diet, physical activity levels, stress management and sleep, as well as managing health policies, nutritional labeling and food marketing.
Study details
Researchers analyzed 204 fecal and 153 blood samples from 51 Chinese children between the ages of 7 and 11 at four time points over 52 weeks.
They also assessed dietary intake, physical activity, clinical phenotypes, early-life factors and fecal characteristics to determine how changes in gut microbiota and mechanistic interactions influence pediatric metabolic health.
They were able to classify the children into low and high-stability subgroups based on their individual fecal microbiota diversity.
The results revealed that children with low-stability microbiota had adverse blood lipid profiles and marked fluctuations in Phocaeicola vulgatus, which was strongly linked to blood triglycerides, lipoprotein(a) levels, dietary fiber and amino acid intake.
“Notably, low baseline abundance of P. vulgatus, previously identified as an instability-driver taxon, emerged as a robust predictor of subsequent instability,” the researchers wrote.
They also found that beneficial bacteria, such as Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium, were negatively associated with the Bray–Curtis distance (a measure of beta diversity), whereas drug-resistant bacteria linked to antibiotic use were positively associated.
The study noted a “distinct gut microbial dysbiosis” in the low-stability group, lower microbiota diversity and reduced levels of anti-inflammatory bacteria. The low-stability microbiota showed “enrichment in pathways related to amino acid degradation” and depletion of carbohydrate metabolism pathways.
“This shift in metabolic function suggests that the gut environment favors protein fermentation over complex carbohydrate utilization,” the researchers wrote, noting that this may disrupt the intestinal barrier, promote inflammation and alter the gut pH, further destabilizing the microbial community.
The researchers called for further studies to consolidate their findings and provide more precise guidance for targeting microbiota in pediatric metabolic health.
Source: Nutrients. doi: 10.3390/nu18020187. “Longitudinal Interaction Between Individualized Gut Microbial Dynamics and Diet Is Associated with Metabolic Health in School-Aged Children”. Authors: C. Feng et al.
