Associations between dietary fibers and gut microbiome composition in the EDIA longitudinal infant cohort

Background: The infant gut microbiome undergoes rapid changes in the first year of life, supporting normal development and long-term health. Although diet shapes this process, the role of fibers in complementary foods on gut microbiome maturation is poorly understood.

Objectives: We explored how the transition from human milk to fibers in complementary foods shapes the taxonomic and functional maturation of the gut microbiome within the first year of life.

Methods: We assessed the longitudinal and cross-sectional development of infant gut microbiomes (N = 68 infants) and metabolomes (N = 33 infants) using linear mixed models to uncover their associations to dietary fibers and their food sources. Fiber intakes were assessed with 3-d food records (months 3, 6, 9, and 12) relying on CODEX-compliant fiber fraction values, and questionnaires tracked the overall complementary food introduction. Bacterial species were identified and quantified via MetaPhlAn2 from metagenomic data, and metabolomic profiles were obtained using 4 LC-MS methods.

Results: We identified 176 complementary food fiber-bacterial species associations. First plant-based fibers associated with microbiota compositions similar to breastfeeding, and further associated with aromatic amino acid-derived metabolites, including 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (total dietary fiber - complementary foods (g) - β = 3.50, CI: 2.48, 4.52, P = 6.53 × 10^-5). Distinct fibers from different food categories showed unique associations with specific bacterial taxa. Key species, such as Faecalibacterium prausnitznii, associated with oat fibers (g/MJ, β = 2.18, confidence interval: 1.36, 2.84, P = 6.12 × 10^-6), reflective of maturing microbial communities. Fiber intake during weaning associated with shifts in metabolite profiles, including immunomodulatory metabolites, with fiber effects observed in a source- and timing-dependent manner, implicated in gradual microbiome diversification.

Conclusions: Introducing complementary dietary fibers during the weaning period supports gut microbiome diversification and stabilization. Even minor dietary variations shows significant associations with microbial taxa and functions from the onset of weaning, highlighting the importance of infant dietary recommendations that support the gut microbiome maturation during early life. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as registration number NCT01735123.