A wide variety of commensal microbes are colonized in our gut. They exert various physiological and pathological effects on our health via host-microbial crosstalk. It has been postulated that imbalance of the commensal microbiota could be a risk factor for human disorders such as diabetes, colonic cancer, as well as infectious diseases. Our recent research demonstrated that acetate produced by bifidobacteria, known as one of the probiotics, could prevent enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 infection through the up-regulation of gut epithelial barrier function.
In modern day where increased life expectancy and high quality of life is of increasing importance, maintaining and promoting good health via a healthy dietary lifestyle is vital. Via metabolomics and other omics-based studies, we comprehensively analyze the beneficial effects of functional foods system-wide. We envision that the methods of this studynutriomics, a first in the field of nutrition, will serve as a clarion call to uncover new dietary intervention strategies designed to recover normal homeostasis in disease states and to maintain healthy well-being, bringing forward a new evolution in nutritional science.