Associations Among Diet, Health, Lifestyle, and Gut Microbiota Composition in the General French Population: Protocol for the Le French Gut – Le Microbiote Français Study

BackgroundOver the past 2 decades, the gut microbiota has emerged as a key player in human health, being involved in many different clinical contexts. Yet, many aspects of the relationship with its host are poorly documented. One obstacle is the substantial variability in wet...

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Main Authors: Chloe Connan, Sébastien Fromentin, Mourad Benallaoua, Anne-Sophie Alvarez, Nicolas Pons, Benoît Quinquis, Christian Morabito, Julie-Anne Nazare, Elise Borezée-Durant, Florence Haimet, Stanislav Dusko Ehrlich, Karine Valeille, Alexandre Cavezza, Hervé Blottière, Patrick Veiga, Mathieu Almeida, Joël Doré, Robert Benamouzig
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: JMIR Publications 2025-05-01
Series:JMIR Research Protocols
Online Access:https://www.researchprotocols.org/2025/1/e64894
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author Chloe Connan
Sébastien Fromentin
Mourad Benallaoua
Anne-Sophie Alvarez
Nicolas Pons
Benoît Quinquis
Christian Morabito
Julie-Anne Nazare
Elise Borezée-Durant
Florence Haimet
Stanislav Dusko Ehrlich
Karine Valeille
Alexandre Cavezza
Hervé Blottière
Patrick Veiga
Mathieu Almeida
Joël Doré
Robert Benamouzig
author_facet Chloe Connan
Sébastien Fromentin
Mourad Benallaoua
Anne-Sophie Alvarez
Nicolas Pons
Benoît Quinquis
Christian Morabito
Julie-Anne Nazare
Elise Borezée-Durant
Florence Haimet
Stanislav Dusko Ehrlich
Karine Valeille
Alexandre Cavezza
Hervé Blottière
Patrick Veiga
Mathieu Almeida
Joël Doré
Robert Benamouzig
author_sort Chloe Connan
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundOver the past 2 decades, the gut microbiota has emerged as a key player in human health, being involved in many different clinical contexts. Yet, many aspects of the relationship with its host are poorly documented. One obstacle is the substantial variability in wet-laboratory procedures and data processing implemented during gut microbiota studies, which poses a challenge of comparability and potential meta-analysis. ObjectiveThe study protocol described here aimed to better understand the relationship between health, dietary habits, and the observed heterogeneity of gut microbiota composition in the general population. “Le French Gut – Le microbiote français” aimed to collect, sequence, and analyze 100,000 fecal samples from French residents using a high-quality shotgun metagenomic pipeline, complemented with comprehensive health, lifestyle, and dietary metadata. Methods“Le French Gut – Le microbiote français” is a prospective, noninterventional French national study involving individuals, the creation of a biological collection (feces), and the exploitation of data from questionnaires and the National Health Data System (Système National des Données de Santé). This national study is open to all metropolitan French adult residents, excluding those who have undergone a colectomy or digestive stoma, or who have had a colonoscopy or taken antibiotics in the last 3 months. This is a home-based trial in which volunteers complete a questionnaire with insights about their health and habits, and in which stool samples are self-collected. Data analysis is structured into 6 work packages, each focusing on a specific aspect of the gut microbiome, including its composition and associations with lifestyle, quality of life, and health. ResultsThis paper outlines the study protocol, with recruitment having started in September 2022 and expected to continue until the end of December 2025. As of January 2025, a total of 20,000 participants have been enrolled. The first scientific publications based on the data analysis are expected by mid-2025. Conclusions“Le French Gut” aims to provide a reference database and new ecosystem tools for understanding the relationship between the gut microbiota, its host, and diet. We expect to be able to find new signatures or targets and promote the design of innovative preventive strategies, personalized nutrition, and precision medicine. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05758961; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05758961 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/64894
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spelling doaj-art-d84f6be251e24ab49d91663b0f28ea0e2025-08-20T02:24:43ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Research Protocols1929-07482025-05-0114e6489410.2196/64894Associations Among Diet, Health, Lifestyle, and Gut Microbiota Composition in the General French Population: Protocol for the Le French Gut – Le Microbiote Français StudyChloe Connanhttps://orcid.org/0009-0008-8410-5358Sébastien Fromentinhttps://orcid.org/0009-0008-2122-8449Mourad Benallaouahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5419-1135Anne-Sophie Alvarezhttps://orcid.org/0009-0007-0728-1705Nicolas Ponshttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1926-8077Benoît Quinquishttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7573-969XChristian Morabitohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3193-7299Julie-Anne Nazarehttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3545-3264Elise Borezée-Duranthttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6047-1651Florence Haimethttps://orcid.org/0009-0003-7033-5623Stanislav Dusko Ehrlichhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7563-4046Karine Valeillehttps://orcid.org/0009-0000-0345-2879Alexandre Cavezzahttps://orcid.org/0009-0003-0524-6747Hervé Blottièrehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8390-0607Patrick Veigahttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6318-8547Mathieu Almeidahttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4971-0049Joël Doréhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8756-0718Robert Benamouzighttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1952-6830 BackgroundOver the past 2 decades, the gut microbiota has emerged as a key player in human health, being involved in many different clinical contexts. Yet, many aspects of the relationship with its host are poorly documented. One obstacle is the substantial variability in wet-laboratory procedures and data processing implemented during gut microbiota studies, which poses a challenge of comparability and potential meta-analysis. ObjectiveThe study protocol described here aimed to better understand the relationship between health, dietary habits, and the observed heterogeneity of gut microbiota composition in the general population. “Le French Gut – Le microbiote français” aimed to collect, sequence, and analyze 100,000 fecal samples from French residents using a high-quality shotgun metagenomic pipeline, complemented with comprehensive health, lifestyle, and dietary metadata. Methods“Le French Gut – Le microbiote français” is a prospective, noninterventional French national study involving individuals, the creation of a biological collection (feces), and the exploitation of data from questionnaires and the National Health Data System (Système National des Données de Santé). This national study is open to all metropolitan French adult residents, excluding those who have undergone a colectomy or digestive stoma, or who have had a colonoscopy or taken antibiotics in the last 3 months. This is a home-based trial in which volunteers complete a questionnaire with insights about their health and habits, and in which stool samples are self-collected. Data analysis is structured into 6 work packages, each focusing on a specific aspect of the gut microbiome, including its composition and associations with lifestyle, quality of life, and health. ResultsThis paper outlines the study protocol, with recruitment having started in September 2022 and expected to continue until the end of December 2025. As of January 2025, a total of 20,000 participants have been enrolled. The first scientific publications based on the data analysis are expected by mid-2025. Conclusions“Le French Gut” aims to provide a reference database and new ecosystem tools for understanding the relationship between the gut microbiota, its host, and diet. We expect to be able to find new signatures or targets and promote the design of innovative preventive strategies, personalized nutrition, and precision medicine. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05758961; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05758961 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/64894https://www.researchprotocols.org/2025/1/e64894
spellingShingle Chloe Connan
Sébastien Fromentin
Mourad Benallaoua
Anne-Sophie Alvarez
Nicolas Pons
Benoît Quinquis
Christian Morabito
Julie-Anne Nazare
Elise Borezée-Durant
Florence Haimet
Stanislav Dusko Ehrlich
Karine Valeille
Alexandre Cavezza
Hervé Blottière
Patrick Veiga
Mathieu Almeida
Joël Doré
Robert Benamouzig
Associations Among Diet, Health, Lifestyle, and Gut Microbiota Composition in the General French Population: Protocol for the Le French Gut – Le Microbiote Français Study
JMIR Research Protocols
title Associations Among Diet, Health, Lifestyle, and Gut Microbiota Composition in the General French Population: Protocol for the Le French Gut – Le Microbiote Français Study
title_full Associations Among Diet, Health, Lifestyle, and Gut Microbiota Composition in the General French Population: Protocol for the Le French Gut – Le Microbiote Français Study
title_fullStr Associations Among Diet, Health, Lifestyle, and Gut Microbiota Composition in the General French Population: Protocol for the Le French Gut – Le Microbiote Français Study
title_full_unstemmed Associations Among Diet, Health, Lifestyle, and Gut Microbiota Composition in the General French Population: Protocol for the Le French Gut – Le Microbiote Français Study
title_short Associations Among Diet, Health, Lifestyle, and Gut Microbiota Composition in the General French Population: Protocol for the Le French Gut – Le Microbiote Français Study
title_sort associations among diet health lifestyle and gut microbiota composition in the general french population protocol for the le french gut le microbiote francais study
url https://www.researchprotocols.org/2025/1/e64894
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