Gut microbiota changes associated with low-carbohydrate diet intervention for obesity

Abstract

Low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) are frequently recommended for alleviating obesity, and the gut microbiota plays key roles in energy metabolism and weight loss. However, there is limited in-human research on how LCD changes gut microbiota. In this before-after study, 43 participants were assigned to the LCD intervention for 4 weeks. The main objective was to investigate the specific changes that occur in the participants' microbiome in response to the LCD. Changes in gut microbiota were analyzed using 16s rRNA sequencing. Body composition was measured using InBody 770. Remarkably, 35 participants (79.07%) lost more than 5% of their body weight; levels of BMI, body fat, and total cholesterol were significantly decreased, indicating the effectiveness of the LCD intervention. The richness of microbiota significantly increased after the intervention. By taking the intersection of ANOVA and linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis results, we identified three phyla, three classes, four orders, five families, and six genera that were differentially enriched between baseline and week-4 time points. Among the three phyla, relative abundances of <i>Firmicutes</i> and <i>Actinobacteriota</i> decreased significantly, while <i>Bacteroidetes</i> increased significantly. At the genus level, <i>Ruminococcus</i>, <i>Agathobacter</i>, <i>Streptococcus</i>, and <i>Bifidobacterium</i> showed a significant reduction in relative abundances, whereas <i>Parabacteroides</i> and <i>Bacteroides</i> increased steadily. Our results demonstrate that LCD can effectively alleviate obesity and modify certain taxa of gut microbiota, providing potential insights for personalized dietary interventions against obesity.