This thesis of Siobhan Brushett covers how our diet and the microbes living in our gut (known as the gut microbiome) are related to our health from infancy to adulthood. Understanding these connections could open doors to new ways of improving our health.
The thesis first explores how factors, such as diet, infant delivery method, medication use, and living in urban versus rural environments, among others, can shape the gut microbiome and health of infants and mothers. For example, the mother’s microbiome during pregnancy can predict if her infant is likely to develop eczema. We also found that breastfeeding, formula feeding, and complementary foods are linked with specific infant gut microbes. In adults, the gut microbiome is also connected with mental health, where certain gut microbes are related to depression and anxiety, independent of the medication individuals are taking for these conditions.
Regarding diet, our research shows that in healthy Dutch infants, breastfeeding duration is associated with better growth and development, regardless of the solid foods infants consume. Among children and adolescents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, we also found that a well-composed diet was linked to better quality of life, influencing areas like emotional well-being and school performance.
Overall, this research underscores the importance of diet and the gut microbiome in health at several stages of life. These findings highlight opportunities to improve health at different stages of life by targeting our diet and/or our gut microbes.
