Blood metabolome predicts gut microbiome α-diversity in humans

Depleted gut microbiome α-diversity is associated with several human diseases, but the extent to which this is reflected in the host molecular phenotype is poorly understood. We attempted to predict gut microbiome α-diversity from ~1,000 blood analytes (laboratory tests, proteomics and metabolomics) in a cohort enrolled in a consumer wellness program (N = 399). Although 77 standard clinical laboratory tests and 263 plasma proteins could not...