Introduction: The capacity of our gut microbial communities to maintain a stable and balanced state, in spite of perturbations is vital to achieving and maintaining optimal health. A loss of microbial resilience is observed in a number of diseases including obesity, diabetes and metabolic disease. Metabolic disease undergoes a cyclic worsening facilitated by an increase in intestinal permeability leading to gut dysbiosis, culminating in ongoing poor health leading to further exacerbated gut leakiness. A greater understanding of the effects of the gut microflora on metabolic health and potential interventions to recalibrate the 'at risk' gut microflora in the direction of enhanced health outcomes are warranted.
Methods and Results: Here we investigated the microbiome composition in various metabolic and chronic diseases including diabetes. Diet and nutrition are one of the major factors involved in shaping the gut microbiome composition. The role of dietary interventions on modulating the microbial diversity and composition are also investigated. Outcome measures include microbiome sequencing, small intestinal permeability was assessed by a dual sugar (lactulose: rhamnose) assay and other assessments; dietary intake, and anthropometric measurements.
Conclusions: Chronic diseases are often associated with gut dysbiosis. Increased junk food intake is associated with reduced diversity of the gut microbiome in children with Type 1 Diabetes. Dietary interventions such as fibre (including resistant starch) impacts the gut microbiome. In addition, regular almond consumption increased the abundance of potentially beneficial microbiome in individuals with elevated blood glucose.