PubMed · 2026-05-28
In people with a hereditary cancer syndrome, eating more plant proteins and fewer animal products was linked to greater diversity of beneficial gut bacteria, while Western-style diets high in red meat and saturated fat were linked to reduced microbial diversity.
Higher plant protein intake and a greater ratio of plant-to-animal protein were positively associated with gut microbiota alpha-diversity (Shannon and Simpson indices) in 95 Lynch syndrome patients.
Western dietary patterns, red meat, saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, and animal proteins were all negatively associated with gut microbial diversity.
Plant protein intake was specifically linked to higher relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group, a bacterial family associated with gut health.