Different Gut Microbial Profiles in Sub-Saharan African and South Asian Women of Childbearing Age Are Primarily Associated With Dietary Intakes.

Background: To compare and characterize the gut microbiota in women of childbearing age from sub-Saharan Africa (the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC) and South Asia (India), in relation to dietary intakes.

Methods: Women of childbearing age were recruited from rural DRC and India as part of the Women First (WF) preconception maternal nutrition trial. Findings presented include fecal 16S rRNA gene-based profiling of women in the WF trial from samples obtained at the time of randomization, prior to initiation of nutrition intervention and to conception.

Results: Stool samples were collected from 217 women (DRC = 117; India = 100). Alpha diversity of the gut microbiota was higher in DRC than in India (Chao1: 91 ± 11 vs. 82 ± 12, = 6.58E-07). The gut microbial community structure was not significantly affected by any demographical or environmental variables, such as maternal BMI, education, and water source. , and were at relatively high abundance without differences between sites. was higher in India (4.95 ± 1.0%) than DRC (0.3 ± 0.1%; = 2.71E-27), as was (DRC: 0.2 ± 0.0%; India: 1.2 ± 0.1%; = 2.39E-13) and (DRC: 6.0 ± 1.7%; India: 8.4 ± 2.9%; = 6.51E-7). was higher in DRC (2.3 ± 0.7%) than in India (1.8 ± 0.4%; = 3.24E-5) and was positively associated with consumption of flesh foods. was positively associated with dairy intake in India and fish/insects in DRC. was positively associated with vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables. Overall, these observations were consistent with India being primarily vegetarian with regular fermented dairy consumption and DRC regularly consuming animal-flesh foods.

Conclusion: Consumption of animal-flesh foods and fermented dairy foods were independently associated with the gut microbiota while demographic variables were not, suggesting that diet may have a stronger association with microbiota than demographic characteristics.