People who ate more plant-based and less meat-based foods — whether on a vegan, vegetarian, or omnivorous diet — had more favorable microbiome compositions than those who did not follow a healthy dietary pattern, new research suggested.
For example, red meat was a strong driver of omnivore microbiomes, with corresponding signature microbes that are negatively correlated with host cardiometabolic health.
In contrast, the signature microbes found in vegans’ gut microbiomes were correlated with favorable cardiometabolic markers and were enriched in omnivores who ate more plant-based foods.
“From the viewpoint of the impact of diet on the gut microbiome, what seems to be more important is the diversity of healthy plant-based foods that are consumed,” principal author Nicola Segata, PhD, University of Trento,…