Research progress of gut flora in improving human wellness

• Main Authors: Chenggang Zhang, Wenjing Gong, Zhihui Li, Dawen Gao, Yan Gao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2019-06-01
• Series: Food Science and Human Wellness
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453019300278

Human wellness is the ultimate goal of our efforts in improving the human life. Special foods are undoubtedly important in achieving human wellness. However, overeating significantly leads to obesity and diabetes. These chronic diseases will in turn affect the human wellness. Therefore, “dietary restriction and proper exercise” were introduced in the human daily life. Different foods cause various effects on the human health. The diversification of diet is a priority for nutritionists to keep our body healthy. To avoid diabetes mellitus, special foods for ketogenic diet, low-carbon diet, and low-calorie intake are also gradually attracting attention. In addition, the hypothesis that “hunger sensation comes from gut flora” brings new light to the research on the biological motivation for humans to eat food. This hypothesis has been gradually demonstrated using the flexible fasting technology by providing special foods, such as plant polysaccharides and dietary fibers. The response to food-needing signals from the gut flora to these foods demonstrates the importance of the gut flora in improving human wellness. The gut flora is probably an essential factor for translating the food-eating signals and converting the nutrition to our body. Therefore, “gut flora priority principle” is developed to guarantee human wellness. The 16S rRNA sequencing and mass spectrometric techniques can be used to identify the gut flora, which may guide us to a new era of human wellness based on gut flora wellness. Keywords: Hunger sensation comes from gut flora, Gut flora-centric theory, Flexible fasting, Gut flora priority principle, Universal reproducing power of the microbiota, Gut flora wellness, Human wellness