Food Insecurity, Malnutrition, and the Microbiome

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Food insecurity is defined as the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources. Although a relationship between food insecurity and malnutrition would seem intuitive, this relationship remains unclear. This review was aimed at summarizing the emerging evidence of the relationship between food insecurity, malnutrition, and intestinal microbial changes.

RECENT FINDINGS: Evidence suggests that malnutrition is certainly associated with alteration in the intestinal microbiome. Alternative theories have been proposed as to the nature of the alteration, whether that be a result of microbial immaturity, dysbiosis, or contributions from both processes. Although the evidence continues to evolve, targeted nutritional therapies in conjunction with specific microbial therapy of probiotics or prebiotics may hold great promise for the treatment of malnutrition in the clinical and community settings.