Diet and microbiota. Impact on health

Abstract

The autochthonous microbiota is essential for life even before birth. Diverse factors can influence the microbiota development, especially in the first months of life, reaching the state of mature microbiota when the child is around two years old. Even so, diet, lifestyle, antibiotic consumption or the aging process will determine changes in its composition and, as a consequence, the possibility of suffering chronic non-communicable diseases. Currently, there is sufficient scientific evidence to strengthen the importance of diet for the establishment, structure and functional activity of the gut microbiota, as well as many studies that demonstrate the role of diet in certain diseases through its effects on microbial communities of the gut. Modulation of the gut microbiota through dietary intervention is an emerging therapeutic and preventive strategy for many conditions. Probiotics and prebiotics may also be effective for restoration of beneficial bacteria and microbiota diversity capable to shift from disease to health promoting states.