Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) consist of a variety of diseases affecting the arteries, veins, and/or heart and are currently one of the leading causes of death worldwide. There are several risk factors for these diseases, including several of the lifestyle changes that may occur with westernization of a culture. Specifically, this shift is often associated with decreased fibre intake and a more sedentary lifestyle. While other studies have reported on the effects of fibre intake and exercise separately, the combined effect of these lifestyle changes on the gut microbiome and how it may influence cardiometabolic status has not yet been fully understood. We hypothesized that fibre and exercise would contribute to a healthier and more diverse microbiome, offering a protective effect against CVD. To test this, we used a 16S rRNA dataset from a population newly undergoing westernization to compare alpha and beta diversity metrics, differential abundance analysis, predictive functional analyses, and network co-occurrences. Although no significant difference in microbial diversity metrics, we identified changes within specific taxa and functional pathways. Within the abnormal cardiometabolic groups, fibre and exercise appeared to offer a rescuing effect by increasing the abundance of several beneficial bacteria and suppressing harmful pathways. Finally, network co-occurrence analyses showed increased network complexity within the dysfunctional cardiometabolic group, as well as a beneficial community associated with physical activity. Overall, it appears that adequate fibre and exercise may offer protection against CVD through healthier microbiome composition and networks, supporting the hypothesis. However, these changes are not yet detectable at the level of alpha and beta diversity metrics, although may become detectable as westernization progresses.