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How poverty affects diet to shape the microbiota and chronic disease

Nature Reviews Immunology volume 18, pages 279–287 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Here, we discuss the link between nutrition, non-communicable chronic diseases and socio-economic standing, with a special focus on the microbiota. We provide a theoretical framework and several lines of evidence from both animal and human studies that support the idea that income inequality is an underlying factor for the maladaptive changes seen in the microbiota in certain populations. We propose that this contributes to the health disparities that are seen between lower-income and higher-income populations in high-income countries.

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Figure 1: Proposed framework for interplay between socio-economic status, the microbiota and metabolic diseases in high-income countries.
Figure 2: Example of how income influences health through the physiological effects of fibre.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support: Dorrance Endowed Fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, University of Arizona Department of Pediatrics

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  1. Christy A. Harrison is at the Departments of Immunobiology and Pediatrics, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.,

    Christy A. Harrison

  2. Douglas Taren is at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.,

    Douglas Taren

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The authors contributed equally to researching, writing and editing the review.

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Harrison, C., Taren, D. How poverty affects diet to shape the microbiota and chronic disease. Nat Rev Immunol 18, 279–287 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/nri.2017.121

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