Food insecurity can leave a measurable biological imprint on children’s gut microbiomes, according to new research presented at ASM Microbe 2026.
The findings suggest that food insecurity may affect children’s health not only through nutrition but also through biological changes in the gut microbiome. ”
Bineyam Taye, MPH, Ph.D., corresponding study author, Associate Professor of Biology and Global Public Health, Colgate University, New York
Food insecurity affects hundreds of millions of people around the world and remains particularly prevalent in low-income regions, including sub-Saharan Africa. While previous studies have primarily focused on undernutrition, growth, and economic indicators, relatively few studies have examined the relationship between food insecurity and the gut microbiome in children in non-Western populations. The gut microbiome plays a critical role in digestion, metabolism, and immune function, so understanding these connections may provide new insights into how environmental and nutritional stressors relate to child health.
Researchers conducted a new study to better understand whether food insecurity is associated with changes in the gut microbiome in children, particularly underrepresented populations in sub-Saharan Africa. For the study, researchers collected stool samples from Ethiopian schoolchildren and used DNA sequencing and statistical analysis to compare the gut bacteria of children from food-secure and food-insecure households. “In this study, we combined microbiome sequencing, statistical analysis, and machine learning approaches to investigate the association between household food insecurity and gut microbial composition,” Tay said.
Researchers found that children living in food-insecure households had different gut microbiome profiles. Stellaraa bacteria that has been associated with poor diet quality and intestinal inflammation.
Taye said future studies will investigate whether these microbiome differences are associated with growth, immune function, and long-term child health outcomes. “This study helps address the lack of research on the gut microbiome in low-income and non-Western populations,” Tay said.
sauce:
American Society for Microbiology
