Culturally acceptable fermented grain may improve gut health in South African postpartum mothers in a randomised trial

Abstract

Optimising nutrition during lactation is critical for the mother and infant. The relationship between fermented food consumption and the mother's gut microbiota and nutritional and inflammation status is unknown. Mageu is a fermented grain commonly consumed in Southern Africa. We randomised South African mothers to consume a live-culture mageu, pasteurised store-bought mageu or no mageu from 4 to 10 weeks postpartum. Clinical and dietary data, stool microbiota and nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers were assessed until week 15. Plant protein intake was higher among mageu users than non-users. Live-culture mageu increased gut <i>α</i>-diversity from weeks 4 to 10. Circulating ferritin was lower among live-culture mageu users at week 10 compared with non-users. In systems analyses, mageu intake was associated with distinct bacterial, inflammatory and nutritional signatures, primarily driven by interleukin (IL)-6, ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor and <i>Eubacterium hallii</i>. These results suggest that mageu has benefits for lactating mothers' gut health and, therefore, possibly their infants.