title: Holobiont nutrition: considering the role of the gastrointestinal microbiota in the health benefits of whole grains.
abstract: Intake of whole grains and other food products high in dietary fiber have long been linked to the prevention of chronic diseases associated with inflammation. A contribution of the gastrointestinal microbiota to these effects has been suggested, but little is known on how whole grains interact with gut bacteria. We have recently published the first human trial that made use of next-generation sequencing to determine the effect of whole grains (whole grain barley, brown rice or a mixture of the two) on fecal microbiota structure and tested for associations between the gut microbiota and blood markers of inflammation, glucose and lipid metabolism. Our study revealed that whole grains impacted gut microbial ecology by increasing microbial diversity and inducing compositional alterations, some of which are considered to have beneficial effects on the host. Interestingly, whole grains, and in particular the combination of whole grain barley and brown rice, caused a reduction in plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), which was linked to compositional features of the gut microbiota. Therefore, the study provided evidence that a short-term increased intake of whole grains led to compositional alterations of the gut microbiota that coincided with improvements in systemic inflammation. In this addendum, we summarize the findings of the study and provide a perspective on the importance of regarding humans as holobionts when considering the health effects of dietary strategies.
authors: Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA. jwalter2@unl.edu
authors: Jens
authors: J
authors: Walter
authors: Inés
authors: I
authors: Martínez
authors: Devin J
authors: DJ
authors: Rose
mesh_terms: D004032:Diet; D002523:Edible Grain; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054892:Metagenome
keywords: gut microbiota; inflammation; metabolic disorders; whole grains
references: Diabetes. 2008 Jun;57(6):1470-81
references: 18305141
references: ISME J. 2012 Aug;6(8):1535-43
references: 22343308
references: Nature. 2012 May 09;486(7402):222-7
references: 22699611
references: Nature. 2012 Sep 13;489(7415):242-9
references: 22972297
references: PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e25200
references: 21966454
references: ISME J. 2011 Feb;5(2):220-30
references: 20686513
references: Science. 2012 Oct 5;338(6103):120-3
references: 22903521
references: J Nutr. 2011 May;141(5):1011S-22S
references: 21451131
references: Diabetologia. 2007 Nov;50(11):2374-83
references: 17823788
references: Environ Microbiol. 2011 Oct;13(10):2667-80
references: 21883787
references: J Nutr Biochem. 2012 Jan;23(1):51-9
references: 21411304
references: J Nutr. 2011 May;141(5):883-9
references: 21430242
references: PLoS Comput Biol. 2013;9(1):e1002863
references: 23326225
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Nov 2;101(44):15718-23
references: 15505215
references: Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2010 Nov;12(6):368-76
references: 20820954
references: Annu Rev Immunol. 2011;29:415-45
references: 21219177
references: PLoS One. 2010 Aug 16;5(8):e12191
references: 20808947
references: Nature. 2012 Jul 5;487(7405):104-8
references: 22722865
references: Annu Rev Food Sci Technol. 2010;1:363-95
references: 22129341
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Oct 28;105(43):16731-6
references: 18936492
references: Environ Microbiol. 2009 Aug;11(8):2112-22
references: 19397676
references: Pharmacol Res. 2013 Mar;69(1):52-60
references: 23147033
references: Nutr Res Rev. 2004 Jun;17(1):99-110
references: 19079919
references: Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 Feb;10(2):72-4
references: 23296245
references: Nutr Rev. 2012 Jul;70(7):387-96
references: 22747841
references: Science. 2011 Oct 7;334(6052):105-8
references: 21885731
references: FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2008 Aug;32(5):723-35
references: 18549407
references: J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Mar 23;53(6):2297-306
references: 15769171
references: Proc Nutr Soc. 2003 Feb;62(1):129-34
references: 12740067
references: Nature. 2009 Oct 29;461(7268):1282-6
references: 19865172
references: ISME J. 2013 Feb;7(2):269-80
references: 23038174
references: PLoS One. 2010 Nov 29;5(11):e15046
references: 21151493
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Aug 17;107(33):14691-6
references: 20679230
references: J Clin Invest. 2011 Jun;121(6):2126-32
references: 21633181
references: Food Chem. 2011 Nov 15;129(2):297-304
references: 30634230
references: Gastroenterology. 2010 Dec;139(6):1844-1854.e1
references: 20816835
references: Nature. 2002 Dec 19-26;420(6917):860-7
references: 12490959
references: Nature. 2011 May 12;473(7346):174-80
references: 21508958
references: Nature. 2011 Apr 7;472(7341):57-63
references: 21475195
references: Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2009 Dec;9(6):737-43
references: 19628432
references: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2007 Feb;73(4):1073-8
references: 17189447