𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝑩𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔/𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝

The gut microbiota is essential for maintaining host health, and perturbations in these microbes have been linked to various health conditions. While the role of sodium in health has been extensively studied, its effects on the human gut microbiome remain underexplored. This study investigates the influence of dietary sodium intake on the composition and function of the human gut microbiota using nutrition and metagenomics methods.

Key Scientific Findings

Dietary Sodium Intake and Microbiome Composition:

• High-sodium diet (HSD) leads to alterations in gut microbiota composition, characterized by a significant reduction in 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 and an inverse increase in 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 compared to a low-sodium diet (LSD).
• 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴/𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘴(F/B) ratio does not show a clear distinction between HSD and LSD, suggesting limitations in using this ratio to assess microbiome changes related to sodium intake.
• The 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴/𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢(B/P) ratio is proposed as a more beneficial marker for compositional changes in microbiome studies, as it reflects shifts in dominant genera.

Genus-Based Analysis in Health and Disease:

• Previous studies across various health conditions have shown that 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 and 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 are the two most abundant genera in the Bacteroidetes phylum.
• Genus-based ratios provide insights into microbial shifts associated with different physiological states, such as breast cancer, blastocystis infection, HIV infection, cardiovascular risk, and diabetes.
• The B/P ratio may offer a more nuanced understanding of microbial changes compared to the phyla-based F/B ratio, particularly in disease contexts.

Functional Analysis:

• Metabolic pathway reconstruction reveals the presence of sodium reabsorption genes in HSD, suggesting a response or adaptation mechanism to high dietary sodium.
• TspOs, implicated in cholesterol metabolism and stress responses, show differential abundance in high-sodium and low-sodium guts, indicating potential roles in sodium-related physiological processes.
• The presence of ENaC genes in HSD but not LSD suggests a modulation of sodium absorption pathways in response to dietary sodium levels.

Methodological Considerations:

• The use of genus-based ratios, such as B/P ratio, enhances the sensitivity of microbiome studies in detecting compositional changes associated with dietary factors.
• Future research should incorporate correlation and regression analyses of differentially significant genera alongside various health indices using structured causal methodologies.

Functional Insights:

• Further investigation is needed to elucidate the precise roles of bacterial TspOs in different physiological conditions and their interactions with dietary sodium.
• Experimental validation of the involvement of TspOs and ENaC genes in sodium-related metabolic pathways is proposed as a direction for subsequent research.

This study highlights the influence of dietary sodium intake on the human gut microbiome composition and function. Genus-based analyses provide valuable insights into microbial shifts associated with sodium intake and various health conditions. The presence of sodium reabsorption genes and differential abundance of TspOs suggest adaptations in microbial communities to dietary sodium levels.

Link to the study : https://tinyurl.com/4v7c5j8e