Gut microbiome dysbiosis is associated with a wide range of diseases, but factors influencing restoration of the microbiome are less well-studied.

In a study published in Nature, researchers tracked the recovery of the gut microbiome after antibiotic treatment in mice receiving either a regular chow diet or a high-fat, low-fibre ‘Western’ diet. The mice on the regular chow diet (high in fibre) exhibited improved recovery of the gut microbiome compared with those on the Western-style diet. Metabolic modelling observations suggested that microbiome recovery is shaped by availability of dietary resources, such as simple versus complex carbohydrates.