How different kinds of fiber affect the microbiome.

ISLAMABAD -- Scientists studying an array of fiber sources show which fiber molecules benefit a group of gut bacteria in a mouse model. Western diets are typically high in saturated fats and sugar and low in fiber. But there is plenty of evidence that our way of eating does not agree with our gut microbiome. Our microbial passengers are crucial to our health.

They help us digest our food, are essential to the immune system, and may be linked to an even wider array of health aspects, such as mental and cardiome tabolic health. Earlier this year, Medical News Today reported on a World Health Organization commissioned meta-analysis that indicated that eating between 25 and 29 grams of fiber each day correlates with a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and colon cancer.

While doctors advise some people to follow a low fiber diet due to specific...