The Microbiome and Personalized Nutrition

This book provides an ample overview of the current state of research on nutrition's influence on the human microbiome and how it can be leveraged in personalized diets. It covers the most relevant perspectives in this burgeoning and interdisciplinary field of research, ranging from how foods and food supplements can be used to modulate the gut microbiome, to the role of large-scale food information initiatives in raising public awareness of this topic. Particular attention is paid to the impact of food processing and preparation methods on the modulation of the gut microbiota, a yet understudied area, which is crucial for the development of sophisticated personalized nutrition programs. In addition, the book addresses important societal aims, such as that of recycling agricultural products for the food industry with the specific goal of targeting the gut microbiome for better health. The role of microbiome-aware nutrition in the context of important diseases of the 21st century such as obesity and allergy, especially in the case of children, is also discussed. Moreover, the authors explore the potential contributions of metabolic modelling to guide dietary interventions for microbiota modulation, as well as strategies on how all this information can be incorporated into dietary applications targeting consumers interested in improving their microbiome and health.