Humanities and Science Research
This proof-of-concept study aims to support the Scottish Government’s mission to improve population health in Scotland through innovative, impactful research. We aim to generate the first evidence on how Scottish cultural practices and traditional diets influence gut microbiome resilience—a key determinant of lifelong physical and mental health. Understanding these relationships is essential for designing tailored, effective public-health strategies within Scotland’s diverse communities. Diet is one of the strongest environmental determinants of microbiome composition[1], yet very little research has examined how culturally rooted or region-specific diets in Scotland shape microbial diversity and function. This gap is particularly important given Scotland’s high prevalence of diet-related health challenges, including obesity, metabolic disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and widening inequalities in access to healthy foods[2]. By studying communities where traditional food practices persist, we can identify dietary patterns promoting microbial resilience, supporting immune and metabolic health, and protecting against chronic diseases[3].
What is this study?
This exploratory study will establish feasibility and scientific rationale for a larger research programme examining diet–culture–microbiome-health relationships across Scotland. Findings will shape future applications to (inter)national funders to investigate whether specific dietary components, regional food environments, or cultural food practices produce measurable health benefits. Ultimately, this research could inform targeted nutritional interventions, community-based health programmes, and policies promoting better and affordable access to resilient, sustainable, and culturally meaningful foods. The insights generated may also contribute to Scotland’s wider priorities in food security, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and preservation of traditional knowledge. If specific elements of traditional Scottish diets are shown to support a healthier microbiome, these could inform strategies for local food production, dietary guidance tailored to regional needs, and efforts to maintain or restore beneficial microbial diversity[4]. These findings may also have broader relevance to UK-wide and even global conversations about the loss of microbiome diversity through homogeneous diets associated with industrialisation and a globalised food chain supply[5]. In summary, this project establishes the essential groundwork for a long-term research programme intended to improve health outcomes, reduce inequalities, and guide evidence-based dietary and public-health interventions across Scotland. This innovative, high-value, and strategically aligned proof-of-concept project is therefore well suited for funding and support..
What is the gut microbiome?
The gut microbiome, the vast community of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract, plays a critical role in human health[6]. Evidence is accumulating that diets are among the strongest most modifiable determinants of microbiome diversity and resilience[7]. Little is known about how Scottish culture, traditional foodways, and regional dietary practices shape the microbiome across the life course. Remote and close-knit rural communities in the Highlands and Islands, where crofting, foraging, and other long-standing dietary traditions persist, offer a unique opportunity to examine how culturally embedded and historic food practices may contribute to microbiome resilience and gut health[8,9]. Over recent decades, we learned that the gut microbiome plays an important role in host metabolism, immunity, and inflammation[10]. Its composition is shaped by dynamic interactions between early-life exposures and environmental factors, particularly diet and lifestyle[11]. After seeding at birth, the infant gut microbiome develops through a staged process, becoming increasingly diverse and resilient with age. Disruptions have been linked to long-term health conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular problems and mood disorders[12]. Westernised diets, typically high in fat, sugar, and processed foods, are consistently associated with reduced microbial diversity, inflammation, and chronic diseases[13]. In contrast, traditional high-fibre, minimally processed diets appear to support a richer resilient microbial ecosystem and favourable metabolic profiles[14].
Importantly, global research highlights substantial population-specific differences in microbiome composition, challenging the assumption that one size-fits-all nutritional recommendations should be applied, and underscoring the need for context-specific evidence[15]. Given rising rates of diet-related diseases, widening health inequalities, and the Government’s emphasis on prevention, community wellbeing, and sustainable food systems, understanding the relationship between traditional foodways, regional dietary practices and development of a resilient microbiome is directly relevant to Scotland[3]. This project therefore asks: How do traditional Scottish cultural practices including crofts and diets influence the development and maintenance of resilient gut microbiota? And what can this teach us about supporting healthier, more sustainable diets across Scotland? By integrating microbiome science, dietetics, anthropology, and community engagement, this research will generate original, policy-relevant evidence regarding culturally grounded pathways to improve microbiome-related health, empowering rural communities and supporting NHS Scotland’s prevention agenda.
References
1. Ross FC, Patangia D, Grimaud G, et al. The interplay between diet and the gut microbiome: implications for health and disease. Nature Reviews Microbiology. [online] 2024; (22):671–686.
2. The Scottish Health Survey 2024 - volume 1: main report. https://www.gov.scot/publications/-
3. Shock T, Badang L, Ferguson B, Martinez-Guryn K. The interplay between diet, gut microbes, and host epigenetics in health and disease. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2021; (95): 108631.
4. Gupta VK, Paul S, Dutta C. Geography, Ethnicity or Subsistence-Specific Variations in Human Microbiome Composition and Diversity. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2017;8.
5. Sonnenburg ED, Sonnenburg JL. The ancestral and industrialized gut microbiota and implications for human health. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 2019; 17(6):383-390.
6. Shahab M, Shahab N. Coevolution of the Human Host and Gut Microbiome: Metagenomics of Microbiota. Cureus. 2022;14(6).
7. Ruan W, Engevik MA, et al. Healthy Human Gastrointestinal Microbiome: Composition and Function After a Decade of Exploration. Digestive Diseases and Sciences. 2020; 65(3):695–705.
8. Wills WJ, Vaghi F, Geddes K, Hamilton L. Scottish Food Practices: Household food practices and the use of dietary information. University of Hertfordshire. 2020;31 pages.
9. National Library of Scotland. Lifting the Lid on Scottish Food History. 2015. Available at: https://digital.nls.uk/learning/scottish-food-history/food-in-scotland/index.html.
10. Valles-Colomer M, Menni C, Berry SE, et al. Cardiometabolic health, diet and the gut microbiome: a meta-omics perspective. Nature Medicine. 2023 Mar;29(3):551-61.
11. Bogaert D, Van Beveren GJ, de Koff EM, et al. Mother-to-infant microbiota transmission and infant microbiota development across multiple body sites. Cell host & microbe. 2023 Mar 8;31(3):447-60.
12. Paul JK, Azmal M, et al. Unlocking the secrets of the human gut microbiota: Comprehensive review on its role in different diseases’. World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2025;31(5).
13. Morandini F, Perez K, Brot L, et al. Urbanization associates with restricted gut microbiome diversity and delayed maturation in infants. iScience. 2023;26(11).
14. Dubois G, Girard C, Lapointe FJ, Shapiro BJ. The Inuit gut microbiome is dynamic over time and shaped by traditional foods. Microbiome. 2017;5:1-12.
15. Parizadeh M, Arrieta M-C. The global human gut microbiome: genes, lifestyles, and diet. Trends in Molecular Medicine. 2023;29(10):S1471-4914(23)001521.