Plant-based diets rewire gut microbes to boost beneficial metabolites

Two studies show plant-based diets reshape the gut microbiome by using fiber and indigestible plant proteins (Prif) to tilt bacterial metabolism toward health-promoting phenols and away from harmful ones; another study finds many indole and phenol metabolites are produced by mammalian metabolism, not only microbes. Together, the work clarifies how diet shapes microbial outputs and could guide dietary and therapeutic strategies.