Grant: Team Grant: Biomarkers in Nutrition and Health (BioNH)

The scientific rationale of recommendations in dietary fiber (DF) intake comes from the recognition of their benefits for health based on studies published many years ago. It remains unclear which key physiological effects are generated by DF in view of the diversity of the food components considered as DF, the relevance of their classification as soluble versus insoluble, and from the recent discoveries putting forward their interactions with the gut microbiota. The FiberTAG project will establish biomarkers to meet two objectives. First, the consortium will use existing cohorts to investigate the link between DF intake, gut microbial signature (composition and metabolites), and key gut biological functions. The second objective will be to develop innovative approaches to evaluate the health interest of novel insoluble DF, prone to interact with the gut microbiota. One of the existing cohorts is the Alberta FYBER study. In this study, we systematically investigate the effects of different types of fibre on inflammation and measures of metabolic health in overweight and mildly obese people. We will also look for links between different types of dietary fibre and the composition and function of each person's gut microbiota. This will allow us to test whether microbiome patterns in individuals predict the effects of the fibre. To achieve this, we will begin with an exploratory clinical trial that compares the effects of three types of fermentable dietary fibre with the effects of non-fermentable cellulose. We will measure how fibre type and microbiota composition and function affect specific health outcomes such as reduced inflammation. Overall, the FiberTAG study will aim at refining the concept of dietary fiber based on novel biological effects that can occur upon gut microbiota-nutrients interaction.