Diet, gut microbiome, and bone health.

Interactions between the environment, the gut microbiome, and host characteristics that influence bone health are beginning to be explored. This is the first area where functional benefits from diet-induced changes in the gut microbiome have been reported for healthy people. Several prebiotics that reach the lower intestine have resulted in an altered gut microbiome that is thought to enhance fermentation of the fibers to produce short-chain fatty acids. These changes are positively correlated with increases in fractional calcium absorption in adolescents and with increases in measures of bone density and strength in animal models. New methodologies are available to explore mechanisms and to refine intervention strategies.