The modern Western-style diet—high in processed foods, red meat, dairy products, and sugar—alters the composition of the gut microbiome in ways that can have a huge impact on health. This dietary pattern, which is also low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, reduces the variety of microbes in the digestive system and the metabolites they produce. This, in turn, increases risk for several immune system-related conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease.
In new research published in Nature, researchers from the University of Chicago show how mice fed a Western-style diet are not able to rebuild a “healthy,” diverse gut microbiome following antibiotic treatment. These mice were also more susceptible to infection by pathogens like Salmonella. However, mice given food loosely mimicking a Mediterranean diet—high in plant-based fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—were able to quickly restore a healthy and resilient gut microbiome after antibiotics.
“We were really surprised by how dramatically different the recovery process is in the mice on the Western-style diet versus the healthier one,” said Megan Kennedy E&E PhD, 2017, a student in the Medical Scientist Training Program at UChicago and lead author of the study.
Read the full article by Matt Wood published May 7, 2025.