Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21811294›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of clinical nutrition2012

A vegan or vegetarian diet substantially alters the human colonic faecal microbiota.

J Zimmer, B Lange, J-S Frick, H Sauer, K Zimmermann, A Schwiertz, K Rusch, S Klosterhalfen, P Enck

3 registry-linked trialsAbstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of clinical nutrition, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 205 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
205citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT01817491 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2013, after this paper: background citation

Low Fat Vegan Diet or American Heart Association Diet, Impact on Biomarkers of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular Risk in Obese 9-18 y.o. With Elevated Cholesterol: A Four Week Randomized Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe Cleveland ClinicRan2013 to 2014Enrolled60ConditionsCardiovascular Disease, Hypercholesterolemia, Obesity, Fatty LiverArmsAmerican Heart Association Diet, Reduced Fat Vegan Diet
NCT03475368 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2018, after this paper: background citation

Diet, Intestinal Microbiota and Metabolomics: Evaluation of Possible Synergies

TypeinterventionalSponsorAzienda Ospedaliera Specializzata in Gastroenterologia Saverio de BellisRan2018 to 2019Enrolled60ConditionsNutrition DisordersArmsVegetarian diet, Low carbs diet, Mediterranean diet
NCT03577119 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2018, after this paper: background citation

Full-fat Yogurt and Glucose Tolerance

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of Vermont Medical CenterRan2018 to 2022Enrolled13ConditionsPre-DiabetesArmsFull-fat yogurt, Non-fat yogurt
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

205 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  16. pH regulates gut bacterial tryptophan metabolism.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2026
    Article
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145 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

J ZimmerDepartment of Internal Medicine VI, University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany.
B Lange
J-S Frick
H Sauer
K Zimmermann
A Schwiertz
K Rusch
S Klosterhalfen
P Enck

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesConsisting of ≈10(14) microbial cells, the intestinal microbiota represents the largest and the most complex microbial community inhabiting the human body. However, the influence of regular diets on the microbiota is widely unknown. SUBJECTS/

methodsWe examined faecal samples of vegetarians (n=144), vegans (n=105) and an equal number of control subjects consuming ordinary omnivorous diet who were matched for age and gender. We used classical bacteriological isolation, identification and enumeration of the main anaerobic and aerobic bacterial genera and computed absolute and relative numbers that were compared between groups.

resultsTotal counts of Bacteroides spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriaceae spp. were significantly lower (P=0.001, P=0.002, P=0.006 and P=0.008, respectively) in vegan samples than in controls, whereas others (E. coli biovars, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., other Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus spp., Lactobacillus spp., Citrobacter spp. and Clostridium spp.) were not. Subjects on a vegetarian diet ranked between vegans and controls. The total microbial count did not differ between the groups. In addition, subjects on a vegan or vegetarian diet showed significantly (P=0.0001) lower stool pH than did controls, and stool pH and counts of E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae were significantly correlated across all subgroups.

conclusionsMaintaining a strict vegan or vegetarian diet results in a significant shift in the microbiota while total cell numbers remain unaltered.

Indexed as

Diet, VegetarianMetagenomeAdultAgedBacteriaCase-Control StudiesColonColony Count, MicrobialFecesFemaleHumansHydrogen-Ion ConcentrationMaleMiddle Aged

Identifiers

PMID21811294

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.