REVIEW article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbial Symbioses
The Ethnicity and Gut Microbiota Hypothesis: Analyzing Multifactorial Interactions and Their Health Implications
Provisionally accepted
- 1First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
- 2Endocrinology Department, Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
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This manuscript investigates the impact of ethnic differences on gut microbiota, with a focus on multifactorial interactions and associated health implications. It defines the "Ethnicity-Gut Microbiota" phenomenon, wherein distinct ethnic groups exhibit significant variations in the composition, structure, and function of gut microbiota. We searched for r elevant references in the Web of Science and PubMed databases using keywords up to De cember 1, 2025. Three key influencing factors are examined: genetic factors such as TLR and FUT2 gene polymorphisms that affect microbial colonization, geographical factors incl uding elevation, soil, circadian rhythm, and temperature that alter microbial diversity, and l ifestyle factors such as diet, physical activity, sleep, and health-related pharmaceutical use t hat shape microbial profiles. These factors interact dynamically and mutually influence one another, ultimately determining the gut microbiota differences across various ethnic group s. This research holds significant value for understanding disease disparities, optimizing dru g administration, guiding public health strategies, and investigating human evolution. Future research directions include large-scale multiethnic studies, multi-omics integration, and exp loration of microbial functional differences. Ultimately, this work aims to advance precision health initiatives for diverse ethnic populations.
Keywords: Circadian Rhythm, Diet, elevation, ethnicity, Genes, Geography, Gut Microbiota, intestinal flora
Received: 11 Dec 2025; Accepted: 03 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Liang, Zhang and Nian. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xin Nian
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