Nutritional Intake and Gut Microbiome

Nutritional Intake, Metabolic Abnormalities and Gut Microbiome in Children

Pediatric obesity has been increasing in prevalence, but concerns have been raised around the world because no treatment has been found. Recently, however, research on gut microbiome has begun to become a new alternative. It has been shown that changes in the microbiome in adults may induce obesity. However, the results on children are still scarce. Unlike adults, children have few external factors such as alcohol, tobacco, stress, and cancer, making them suitable for obesity-related gut microbiome studies. The investigators will use Illumina MiSeq platform for 16s rRNA metagenomics profiling in children. In this study, the investigators aimed to analyze the relationship between pediatric obesity, gut microbiome profile, blood biomarkers relevant to metabolic syndrome, and nutrient intake data.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Obese children: Children ≥95 ‰ between age 7 and 12 years
• Non-obese children: 5‰<BMI <85 ‰ for children between the ages of 7 and 12 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Taking antibiotics, probiotics, or steroids for a month before visit
• Taking probiotics-like products including yogurt for seven days before visit
• Having enteritis symptoms including diarrhea for a month before visit
• Chronic heart disease, chronic bowel disease, chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, endocrine disease, genetic diseases or congenital metabolic disorder