Herbsprout.com

A short-term intervention in daily fiber consumption can significantly alter the gut microbiome and nutrient intake, according to a study led by University of California, Irvine (UCI) researchers. “The lack of fiber intake in the industrialized world is starving our gut microbes,” says UCI professor Katrine Whiteson who co-directs UCI’s Microbiome Initiative, and conducted the dietary study.

Though humans cannot digest fibers from fruits, vegetables and whole grains, our gut bacteria uses fiber to make healthy byproducts such as short-chain fatty acids, according to the UC Irvine report.

The students who participated in the two week fiber enriched diet tracked their gut microbial composition. The two-week intervention significantly altered individual gut microbiome composition, including an increase in the abundance of Bifidobacterium, according to the UCI report.

The study was supported by the UCI Microbiome Initiative (https://microbiome.uci.edu/) at the University of California, Irvine and Thistle. An education outcome-focused manuscript was published last year: