Mechanisms of Gut Microbiota Modulation by Food, Probiotics, Prebiotics and More

Diet is one of the most important factors determining the population profile of the members of the human intestinal microbiota and modulating its activity. Diet provides the necessary nutrients for maintaining our physiological state, it also supplies specific substrates that can be metabolized by the intestinal microbiota in order to carry out its biological functions, as well as food microorganisms, naturally present in the food or added through supplements, whose interaction with our cells conditions our state of health. This chapter collects recent information on how the microbiota can be modulated through different foods and diets, as well as with probiotics, prebiotics and other related compounds.