Industrialized diets modulate host eating behavior via the microbiome–gut–brain axis

The gut microbiome is an important participant in the gut–brain axis and a key mediator of host–diet interactions that shape feeding behavior. These effects occur through microbial metabolism of dietary components – fiber, sugar, fat, and protein – into bioactive metabolites that influence microbiome–gut–brain signaling. Industrialized diets are enriched in highly processed, energy-dense foods characterized by elevated fat and sugar content and reduced fiber content. These diets have been implicated in altered eating behaviors involving the microbiome–gut–brain axis. We propose that different ratios of dietary substrates in industrialized diets perturb the microbiome–gut–brain axis, thereby driving changes in microbial metabolite production and downstream signaling with behavioral consequences. Integration of microbiome and neuroscience methodologies will help to delineate the causal mechanisms by which diet shapes interoceptive signaling and eating behavior.