Effects of an Organic Plant-rich Diet on Gut Microbiome and Vascular Function (ORGAMIC Pilot Study)

Previous work have shown that consumption of foods rich in polyphenols, such as berries and cocoa, led to beneficial changes in the gut microbiota composition, as well as improvements in biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk in healthy volunteers. In addition, recent studies suggest that pesticide exposure has a detrimental effect on the gut microbiome in human populations and laboratory animals.The aim of this pilot study is to investigate the effects of short-term consumption of an organic and a non-organic plant rich diet on urinary polyphenol and pesticide levels, gut microbiome and selected biomarkers of cardiovascular health in a group of young healthy individuals. Healthy men and women participants (10) will be recruited for a 2-arm randomised crossover controlled trial. Urinary polyphenol and pesticide levels after consumption of an organic and non-organic plant rich diet for 4 days will be analysed. Changes in gut microbiome composition and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk (flow-mediated dilation, blood pressure and arterial stiffness) will also be investigated.