The Study
Association of long-term habitual dietary fiber intake since infancy with gut microbiota composition in young adulthood.
This study found that kids who ate more fiber over many years tended to have different gut bacteria when they grew up. But it doesn't prove that the fiber made the bacteria change—maybe other things like exercise or sleep played a role too.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at how eating fiber every day from babyhood until age 26 affected the types of bacteria in the gut.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 545 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The changes were statistically significant but very small in size — unlikely to have a big health impact on their own.
- 2People who ate more fiber over time had slightly less diverse gut bacteria, more Butyrivibrio bacteria, and less Faecalibacterium and Subdoligranulum.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The Journal of nutrition
Year
2024
Authors
M. A. Heiskanen, Anna-Katariina Aatsinki, P. Hakonen, N. Kartiosuo, E. Munukka, Leo Lahti, A. Keskitalo, Pentti Huovinen, H. Niinikoski, J. Viikari, T. Rönnemaa, H. Lagström, A. Jula, O. Raitakari, S. Rovio, K. Pahkala
Related Content
Claims (4)
People who eat 30 or more different types of plants each week have higher gut microbiota diversity than those who eat fewer.
People who consumed more dietary fiber from infancy through age 26 have slightly lower gut microbial diversity and a measurable change in the composition of their gut microbes by young adulthood.
People who consumed more dietary fiber from infancy through age 26 had higher levels of the gut bacterium Butyrivibrio and lower levels of other butyrate-producing bacteria like Faecalibacterium and Subdoligranulum.
People who consumed more dietary fiber from infancy through age 26 have a measurably different gut microbiota composition in young adulthood compared to those with lower fiber intake, based on statistical analysis of microbial community patterns.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.