Abstract
Diets rich in whole grains are associated with improved health and a lower risk of non-communicable diseases, but the mechanisms through which these health benefits are conveyed are uncertain. One mechanism may be improvements in the gut environment by the delivery of fermentable substrates and associated phytochemicals to the lower gut and modification of the gut microbiome. Quinoa is included in the whole-grain category because of its structural similarities to cereals but the effects of its consumption on the gut microbiome have not been investigated to date. Our aim was to examine the impact of daily quinoa consumption on the gut microbiome in a 4-week randomised cross-over intervention separated by a 4-week wash-out period involving 28 adult males. Participants consumed either a quinoa-enriched wheat-bread roll providing 20 g quinoa flour each day, or a control wheat-only bread roll. Stool samples were collected in sterile collection tubes immediately before and at the end of each intervention period. DNA was then extracted, and the 16S rRNA V4 region of extracted DNA was amplified and sequenced. For both the control and quinoa bread periods, there were no changes at the phyla or genus level between baseline and week 4 (all p > 0.05). Diversity in the microbiome profile was not different from baseline after either intervention arms. The results show that small changes in the type of cereal consumed—substituting 20 g of refined wheat flour with whole-grain quinoa flour—was not able to significantly modulate the gut microbiome. Further studies with higher levels of quinoa or longer exposure periods are needed to ascertain if there is a dose−response effect of quinoa, and if these effects are able to translate into clinical outcomes.