How does immigration to Canada impact the gut microbiome?
Explore our newest publication from the Gibson Lab on how immigration to Canada affects the gut microbiome in Indian migrants.
Our study found that first- and second-generation Indian migrants exhibit a shift away from a traditional Indian microbiome toward a westernized microbiome. This shift was most pronounced in the second generation Indo-Canadians, and was also correlated with significant dietary changes, specifically, an increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
On average, 61% of calories consumed daily by Indo-Canadians were from UPFs, whereas UPFs made up only 12% of the daily caloric intake in Indians living in India. This dramatic change in dietary patterns highlights a major factor that may be influencing such a drastic transition in the gut microbiome in those who migrate to westernized countries.
To learn more, read the paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41522-025-00778-8.pdf
Dr. Gibson was awarded the prestigious Killam Faculty Research Fellowship to support her sabbatical project in India “Characterization of differences in the gut microbiome composition and function between cohorts of South East Asians, immigrants and 1st generation Indo-Canadians.”
