Although there is associative evidence linking fecal microbiome profile to health and disease, many studies have not considered the confounding effects of dietary intake. Consuming food provides fermentable substrate which sustains the microbial ecosystem that resides with most abundance in the colon. Western, Mediterranean and vegetarian dietary patterns have a role in modulating the gut microbiota, as do trending restrictive diets such the paleolithic and ketogenic. Altering the amount or ratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat, particularly at the extremes of intake, impacts the microbiome. Diets high in fermentable carbohydrates support the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium, Prevotella, Ruminococcus, Dorea and Roseburia, among others, capable of degrading polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and sugars. Conversely, very high fat diets increase bile-resistant organisms such as Bilophila and Bacteroides. Food form, whole foods vs. ultra-processed, alters the provision of macronutrient substrate to the colon due to differing digestibility, and thereby may impact the microbiota and its metabolic activity. In addition, phytochemicals in plant-based foods have specific and possibly prebiotic effects on the microbiome. Further, food ingredients such as certain low-calorie sweeteners enhance Bifidobacterium spp. The weight of evidence to date suggests a high level of interindividual variability in the human microbiome vs. clearly defined, dietary-induced profiles. Healthful dietary patterns, emphasizing plant foods high in microbial-available carbohydrate, support favorable microbiome profiles active in saccharolytic fermentation. Future research into diet and microbiome should consider the balance of gut microbial-generated metabolites, an important link between microbiome profile and human health.

尽管有关联的证据将粪便微生物组概况与健康和疾病相关联，但许多研究并未考虑饮食摄入的混杂影响。食用食物可提供可发酵的底物，从而维持微生物生态系统，而该生态系统以结肠中的丰富度最高。西方，地中海和素食饮食模式在调节肠道菌群中起着重要作用，而趋于限制性的饮食如古石质和生酮饮食也是如此。改变碳水化合物，蛋白质和脂肪的含量或比例，特别是在摄入量极端的情况下，会影响微生物组。在发酵碳水化合物饮食的高支持的相对丰度双歧杆菌，普氏菌属，瘤胃球菌属，Dorea和罗斯氏，除其他外，能够降解多糖，低聚糖和糖。相反，高脂肪饮食会增加抵抗胆汁的生物，例如Bilophila和Bacteroides。相对于超加工食品而言，全食物与超加工食品形式由于消化率的不同而改变了向结肠提供大量营养素的途径，从而可能影响微生物群及其代谢活性。此外，植物性食品中的植物化学物质对微生物组具有特定的作用，甚至可能对益生元产生影响。此外，食品成分（如某些低热量甜味剂）可增强双歧杆菌spp。迄今为止的大量证据表明，与明确定义的饮食引起的特征相比，人类微生物组的个体间变异性较高。健康的饮食习惯，强调富含微生物可利用的碳水化合物的植物性食物，有助于糖酵解发酵中活跃的微生物组特征。饮食和微生物组的未来研究应考虑肠道微生物产生的代谢产物的平衡，这是微生物组概况与人类健康之间的重要联系。