Effect of Agricultural Practices on Crops, Gut Microbiome, and Human Health

The human gut microbiome plays a regulatory role in host health, and is involved in metabolic, immune, and neurological processes. Diet shapes the gut microbiome; by providing essential nutrients, which sustain the existing microorganisms and by introducing foodborne microbes that modulate its composition. Notably, the impact of microbes from fruit and vegetables on the gut microbiome is relatively unexplored. Differences in agricultural practices, organic vs conventional strategies, can lead to variations in nutritional content and associated microbial communities in and on crops, underscoring the potential for variations in cultivated crops to influence the human gut microbiome's composition and function. This study aims to explore how crop cultivation practices affect the composition and function of the human gut microbiome, ultimately influencing overall health.