The gut microbiota is host-specific and variable

Loss of diversity has a negative impact on health; conservation of key microbial functions is even more important

Indigestible carbohydrates are the ‘food’ of the gut microbiota

Probiotics, prebiotics and polyphenols can promote gut health via the microbiota

The gut microbiome is an environmental factor in obesity

Unknown functions in the microbiome can be transferred and recapitulate or treat obesity and its associated metabolic disorders

Bacterial dysbiosis can drive hepatitis

Bacterial products can cause inflammation in the liver

Alterations of the microbiota lie at the core of IBD pathogenesis; these may be driven by host genetics and/or environmental factors

Targeting the microbiota remains an attractive option to treating the disease cause

Pathobionts such as Fusobacterium nucleatum are overexpressed in adenomas and cancers of the colon.

‘High-risk’ (high fat, high protein) diets modulate this risk through gut microbiome co-metabolic processes.

The gut microbiota may drive the first DNA damage either via specific proteins or metabolites

Diet can play a large role in shaping the composition of the microbiota and it thus affects risk of developing the disease