News
New research on the effect of dietary fiber and fermented foods on the gut microbiome
Researchers from Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (WFBR) and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have conducted a unique study in collaboration with the Gastrointestinal Society (MLDS). The Gut health Enhancement by Eating favorable Food (GEEF) study was a 21-week study using a citizen science approach. By applying citizen science, participants were actively involved in the study, and in doing so, the researchers and the MLDS hope to have fostered a lasting improvement in participants' eating behavior.
The study was conducted under the direction of Food Health & Consumer researcher Dr. Nicole de Wit (WUR) and Professor of Microbiology Remco Kort (VU). The study examined the effects of a fiber rich diet and a diet high in fermented foods on the gut microbiome. By incorporating elements of citizen science, participants were actively involved in the study. Participants received education on the gut microbiome and personalized reports on their gut microbiome. The dietary intervention took participants' personal preferences into account, and participants themselves collected all outcomes (including blood and stool samples). Furthermore, some participants made vlogs about their findings. These videos will later be used for dissemination of the results.
This citizen science approach offered the researchers several advantages. First, recruitment of study participants was relatively quick, with 1448 people interested in participating. In addition, adherence to dietary recommendations was high (>90%). Moreover, the findings are expected to translate relatively successfully because healthy Dutch people were included, dietary recommendations were implemented based on personal preferences, and the study was conducted in a realistic setting.
For more details on the study design and the resulting insights, you can read the full article here. The researchers thank all participants for their participation and thank MLDS, Keep Food Simple, Ani Biome, WholeFiberTM, MyMicroZoo and HORAIZON for their valuable contribution to this study.