Humans are complicated, and there are many things that influence our health. There are things we can’t change, like our age or genetic makeup, and the things we can, such as our choice of food and drink. There are also the trillions of bacteria that live in our guts—collectively known as the microbiome—that have a significant impact on our health and digestion.
The foods we eat are mixtures of many nutrients that affect the body and microbiome in different ways, so unraveling the relationship between diet, metabolism, and health is no simple matter. A new study from the University of Minnesota adds yet another layer of complexity, showing that foods that have comparable nutritional profiles can have very different effects on the microbiome.
