Nicola Procházková et al.
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that gut transit time is a key factor in shaping the gut microbiota composition and activity, which are linked to human health. Both population-wide and small-scale studies have identified transit time as a top covariate contributing to the large interindividual variation in the faecal microbiota composition. Despite this, transit time is still rarely being considered in the field of the human gut microbiome. Here, we review the latest research describing how and why whole gut and segmental transit times vary substantially between and within individuals, and how variations in gut transit time impact the gut microbiota composition, diversity and metabolism. Furthermore, we discuss the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota may causally affect gut motility. We argue that by taking into account the interindividual and intraindividual differences in gut transit time, we can advance our understanding of diet–microbiota interactions and disease-related microbiome signatures, since these may often be confounded by transient or persistent alterations in transit time. Altogether, a better understanding of the complex, bidirectional interactions between the gut microbiota and transit time is required to better understand gut microbiome variations in health and disease.
Key messages
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Gut transit time varies considerably between and within individuals, and explains large proportions of the gut microbiota compositional variation between people.
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Gut transit time affects substrate availability in the colon affecting the trade-off between saccharolytic and proteolytic fermentation.
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The gut microbiota can via production of metabolites stimulate gut motility thus affecting the transit time
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Many disease-related microbiome signatures may be confounded by alterations in gut transit time.
- By considering interindividual and intraindividual differences in transit time in human studies, diet–microbiota interactions and disease-related microbiome signatures may be better elucidated.
LEGGI TUTTO
