A new study has found that gut microbiomes of South Asian populations are distinct from those reported in other parts of the world and are shaped by local culture, diet, geography and lifestyle.
The findings could provide a scientific foundation for developing microbiome-based diagnostics, personalized nutrition and precision healthcare approaches tailored to South Asian populations, particularly for lifestyle-related disorders.
The study was conducted by scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), in collaboration with the University of Chicago and institutions across India, Sri Lanka and the US.
Led by Dr Niraj Rai, Group Head, Ancient DNA, BSIP, Lucknow, the research analysed stool samples and dietary, lifestyle and health information from 575 healthy adults representing 10 culturally and geographically distinct communities across India and Sri Lanka.
Using the South Asian MicroBiome ARray (SAMBAR), launched in India by BSIP scientists, researchers characterised participants’ gut microbiomes through high-throughput DNA sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes, followed by advanced bioinformatic analyses. They compared rural and urban individuals within each community and also compared South Asian microbiomes with global datasets.
The researchers discovered that each community followed a unique gut microbiome trajectory in response to urbanization, reflecting differences in local culture, diet, geography and lifestyle.
South Asia is undergoing rapid urbanization while simultaneously experiencing a sharp increase in obesity, diabetes and other cardiometabolic disorders. While urbanization is known to influence the gut microbiome, it has remained unclear whether these changes occur similarly across diverse South Asian populations.
The researchers noted that most microbiome research has focused on European and North American populations, leaving South Asia largely underrepresented despite housing nearly one-fourth of the world’s population.
Published in Gut Microbes, the study highlights the importance of including underrepresented populations in global microbiome research.
The study also suggests that microbiome-based therapies should be tailored to regional populations rather than adopting approaches developed solely from Western populations. The SAMBAR resource is expected to support future research on diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other lifestyle disorders that are rapidly increasing across South Asia.
