Prevotella-to-Bacteroides ratio predicts body weight and fat loss success on 24-week diets varying in macronutrient composition and dietary fiber: results from a post-hoc analysis.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to examine whether dietary weight loss responses differed between individuals with low and high Prevotella-to-Bacteroides (P/B) ratios when consuming diets varying in dairy calcium content.
Results Summary
The study found that individuals with high P/B ratios lost significantly more body weight and body fat compared to those with low P/B ratios, particularly when consuming higher fiber diets, but dairy calcium levels did not significantly alter these outcomes.
Population
Overweight individuals (80 randomized, 52 completed).
Effective Dosage
High dairy (≈1500 mg calcium/day) vs. low dairy (≤600 mg calcium/day).
Duration
24 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
500 kcal/d energy deficit diet with a macronutrient composition of 30 E% fat, 52 E% carbohydrate and 18 E% protein either high (≈1500 mg calcium/day) or low (≤ 600 mg calcium/day) in dairy products | decrease | body weight | individuals with high pre-treatment bacterial Prevotella-to-Bacteroides (P/B) ratio | 3.8 kg (95%CI, 1.8,5.8; P < 0.001) more | lost more | #1 |
500 kcal/d energy deficit diet with a macronutrient composition of 30 E% fat, 52 E% carbohydrate and 18 E% protein either high (≈1500 mg calcium/day) or low (≤ 600 mg calcium/day) in dairy products | decrease | body fat | individuals with high pre-treatment bacterial Prevotella-to-Bacteroides (P/B) ratio | 3.8 kg (95% CI, 1.1, 6.5; P = 0.005) more | lost more | #2 |
diet rich in fiber | decrease | body weight | individuals with high P/B ratio | 8.3 kg (95% CI, 5.8;10.9, P < 0.001) more when consuming above compared to below 30 g fiber/10MJ | lost more | #3 |
diet rich in fiber | decrease | body weight | individuals with low P/B ratio | 3.2 kg (95% CI, 0.8;5.5, P = 0.008) more when consuming above compared to below 30 g fiber/10MJ | lost | #4 |
diet rich in fiber | decrease | body weight | individuals with a high P/B | - | more susceptible to weight loss | #5 |
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Individuals with high pre-treatment bacterial Prevotella-to-Bacteroides (P/B) ratio have been reported to lose more body weight on diets high in fiber than subjects with a low P/B ratio. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine potential differences in dietary weight loss responses between participants with low and high P/B. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Eighty overweight participants were randomized (52 completed) to a 500 kcal/d energy deficit diet with a macronutrient composition of 30 energy percentage (E%) fat, 52 E% carbohydrate and 18 E% protein either high (≈1500 mg calcium/day) or low ( ≤ 600 mg calcium/day) in dairy products for 24 weeks. Body weight, body fat, and dietary intake (by 7-day dietary records) were determined. Individuals were dichotomized according to their pre-treatment P/B ratio derived from 16S rRNA gene sequencing of collected fecal samples to test the potential modification of dietary effects using linear mixed models. RESULTS: Independent of the randomized diets, individuals with high P/B lost 3.8 kg (95%CI, 1.8,5.8; P < 0.001) more body weight and 3.8 kg (95% CI, 1.1, 6.5; P = 0.005) more body fat compared to individuals with low P/B. After adjustment for multiple covariates, individuals with high P/B ratio lost 8.3 kg (95% CI, 5.8;10.9, P < 0.001) more body weight when consuming above compared to below 30 g fiber/10MJ whereas this weight loss was 3.2 kg (95% CI, 0.8;5.5, P = 0.008) among individuals with low P/B ratio [Mean difference: 5.1 kg (95% CI, 1.7;8.6, P = 0.003)]. Partial correlation coefficients between fiber intake and weight change was 0.90 (P < 0.001) among individuals with high P/B ratio and 0.25 (P = 0.29) among individuals with low P/B ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with high P/B lost more body weight and body fat compared to individuals with low P/B, confirming that individuals with a high P/B are more susceptible to weight loss on a diet rich in fiber.