A healthy human starts with a healthy gut. Microbes in your body play an important role in your health. 

Interest of the microbiome in human health has recently increased. The protein digestion plays a key role in determining the microbiota. Especially, there is growing recognition of the role of dietary protein in modulating the composition and the metabolic activity of the gut microbiota is increasing

What is the microbiome? 

All animals have unique collection of microbes in digestive tracts, collectively known as the gut microbiome. The human microbiome (the genome of all our microbes) consists of the 100 trillion microbes. Bacteria in the microbiome help digest food, regulate the immune system, and protect against pathogens. They play an important role in digestion of nutrient. Imbalance in the body's bacteria can cause digestive disorders, allergies, diabetes, anxiety, and depression. Maintaining a proper balance by altering diet components is critical role in preventing the growth of pathogenic bacteria. The human microbiome plays a vital role in control of the homeostatic mechanisms in the body, such as resistance to infection and inflammation, prevention against autoimmunity.

Contributions of the interaction between dietary protein and gut microbiota to intestinal health 

Intestinal microbiota plays a very important role in your health by helping control digestion and immune system. The ecosystem of the gastrointestinal tract microbiome is largely affected by dietary factors. Especially dietary proteins provide amino acids to the host. The amino acid composition and protein digestion determine the microbiota. Changes of microbiota can affect the intestinal barrier and the immune system.

In newly weaned animals, the abundance of probiotics such as Lactobacilli increased whereas the population of pathogens such as Coliforms and Staphylococci decreased. In adult animals, the change of microbial composition Coliforms is observed only when the protein level changes greatly. Protein-fermenting bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Bacteroides increased whereas saccharolytic bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus decreased. Dietary protein is an essential nutrient for animal growth and is considered a crucial factor in regulating gut microbiota of monogastric animals. A low-protein diet inhibits the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria and reduces the number of potentially pathogenic bacteria such as E.coli. Thus, a low protein diet improves gastrointestinal tract health in all animals. Attention to the diet strategies with protein supplementation is necessary to benefit your gut health. 

Reference 

Xi Ma et al., Current Protein and Peptide Science, 2017, 18, 795-808

Conlon & Bird, The impact of diet and lifestyle on gut microbiota and human health, 2015, 7, 17-44

Sanderson & Amon, Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed, 2017, 102, 258-261