Gut Microbiota and Dietary Intake of Normal-Weight and Overweight Filipino Children

Diet and body mass index (BMI) have been shown to affect the gut microbiota of children, but studies are largely performed in developed countries. Here, we conducted a cross-sectional investigation on the differences in the bacterial gut microbiota between normal-weight and overweight urban Filipino children, and determined the relationship between their energy, macronutrient and dietary fiber intakes, and their gut microbiota composition and diversity. Forty-three children (normal-weight, n = 32; overweight, n = 11) participated in the study. Energy and fiber intakes were collected using a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). The gut microbiota was profiled using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of the V3–V4 region. The diet of the children was a mixture of traditional and Western patterns. There were no significant differences in energy, macronutrients and energy-adjusted fiber intakes between the normal-weight and overweight groups, but there were significantly more children meeting the recommended fiber intake in the overweight group. Alpha and beta bacterial diversities did not significantly differ between weight groups. Relative abundance of Bifidobacterium, Turicibacter and Clostridiaceae 1 were higher in the normal-weight than overweight children, and Lachnospira was higher in overweight children.