Micronutrients & recovery
Higher circulating levels of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and total omega-3 fatty acids are significantly associated with increased gut microbiome alpha diversity and a higher abundance of Lachnospiraceae bacteria in middle-aged and elderly women.
For middle-aged and elderly women, maintaining higher levels of DHA (via diet or supplementation) is associated with a more diverse gut microbiome, specifically an increase in Lachnospiraceae bacteria. This association holds true even when accounting for dietary fiber intake, suggesting that omega-3s play a distinct role in gut health beyond just feeding fiber-fermenting bacteria.
Both total omega-3and DHA serum levels were significantly correlated with microbiome alpha diversity (Shannon index) after adjusting for confounders... We found even stronger associations between DHA and 38 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), the strongest ones being with OTUs from the Lachnospiraceae family
Why this rating
The study is a large observational cohort (n=876) with rigorous statistical adjustment, but it is cross-sectional, preventing causal inference.
Source
Omega-3 fatty acids correlate with gut microbiome diversity and production of N-carbamylglutamate in middle aged and elderly women
Cristina Menni et al. · Scientific Reports · 2017
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