Dietary Patterns Affect the Gut Microbiome—The Link to Risk of Cardiometabolic Diseases

Clusters of bacterial species within the gut microenvironment, or gut enterotype, have been correlated with cardiometabolic disease risk. The metabolic products and metabolites that bacteria produce, such as short-chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids, and trimethylamine, may also affect the microbial community and disease risk. Diet has a direct impact on the gut microenvironment by providing substrates to and promoting the colonization of resident bacteria. To date, few dietary patterns have been evaluated for their effect on the gut microbiome, but the Mediterranean diet and Vegetarian diets have shown favorable effects for both the gut microbiome and cardiometabolic disease risk. This review examines the gut microbiome as a mediator between these dietary patterns and cardiometabolic disease risk.