Research
Energy balance
Dietary composition is the primary driver of gut microbiota diversity, accounting for 57% of variation compared to 12% from host genetics, with high-fat/sugar diets increasing Firmicutes and decreasing Bacteroidetes.
Focus on what you eat, not just your genes. Switching from a high-fat, high-sugar diet to one rich in fibers (vegetarian-style) can rapidly alter your gut bacteria. This shift is more powerful than your genetic predisposition.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
It has been suggested that changes in the diet can account for 57 % of the variations in microbiota compared to genetic variations in host that can only account for 12 % [53].
Why this rating
The paper is a review citing multiple humanized mouse studies and human observational data, though it notes complexity.
Source
The role of Gut Microbiota in the development of obesity and Diabetes
Othman A. Baothman et al. · Lipids in Health and Disease · 2016
DOI 10.1186/s12944-016-0278-4
narrative_reviewCited 495×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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