(P19-035-25) Longitudinal Impact of Food Insecurity on the Gut Microbiome and Metabolome in College Students: Insights Into Microbial Stability and Metabolic Adaptations

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the longitudinal impact of food insecurity (FI) on the gut microbiome (GM) and metabolome in first-year college students. We hypothesized that FI would influence microbial diversity, functional pathways, and metabolite profiles, reflecting adaptive mechanisms to dietary constraints.

Methods: A cohort of 85 college students was categorized into food secure (FS; n=44), food insecure (FI; n=13), or variable food security (VAR; n=28) groups. Stool samples were collected at three time points over an academic year. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted metabolomics characterized microbial and metabolic profiles. GM stability was assessed using Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, while metabolic pathways were inferred via PICRUSt2. Multi-omic integration was performed using GFLASSO to identify co-occurring microbial and metabolite features.

Results: FI was associated with higher abundances of species such as Bifidobacterium bifidum and metabolites like cadaverine and putrescine (p < 0.05). Stability analysis revealed greater GM resilience in FI participants compared to FS counterparts. Pathway analysis indicated enrichment of glutathione metabolism, lysine degradation, and fatty acid degradation in FI participants, reflecting potential metabolic adaptations to nutritional stress. VAR participants transitioning from FS to FI displayed significant GM and metabolite disruptions without clear taxonomic distinctions.

Conclusions: Food insecurity significantly influences GM composition, stability, and metabolite profiles in college students, underscoring adaptive microbial and metabolic responses to dietary limitations. These findings highlight the potential of GM-modulating interventions to mitigate adverse health effects in vulnerable populations.

Funding Sources: NIH Common Fund from the Office of the Director and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (Grant#: 1DP5OD017910 ; PI: M. Bruening). Additionally, research presented in this publication was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number T32DK137525 (A. Mohr).