Mongolian adults exhibit relatively high Bifidobacterium diversity at both national and global scales, with traditional dairy consumption associated with species-specific variation in Bifidobacterium composition, supporting the contribution of dietary practices to regional gut microbiota patterns.
Key Findings
Results
Shannon diversity within the Bifidobacterium genus was significantly higher in nomadic Mongolians, particularly those from Khuvsgul and Dundgobi regions.
100 healthy adults were recruited from four Mongolian regions for this study.
Strong geographic structuring was observed in beta-diversity analyses (PERMANOVA, p < 0.001).
Fecal samples were analyzed using species-resolved shotgun metagenomics.
Nomadic populations showed higher relative abundances of B. adolescentis and B. angulatum.
B. pseudocatenulatum predominated in Ulaanbaatar (urban population).
Results
Overall Bifidobacterium abundance was lowest in the Bulgan region, though B. longum remained the dominant species there.
Substantial inter-individual and regional variation in total Bifidobacterium abundance was observed across Mongolia.
B. longum was identified as the dominant species in Bulgan despite the region having the lowest overall Bifidobacterium abundance.
Species-level identification was enabled by species-resolved shotgun metagenomics.
Results
Traditional and homemade dairy intake was positively associated with specific Bifidobacterium species, while factory milk intake showed divergent associations.
Spearman correlation analysis with false discovery rate correction was used to identify diet-microbe associations.
Homemade yogurt and traditional dairy intake were positively associated with B. angulatum.
B. catenulatum was positively associated with homemade yogurt, traditional dairy, and total fermented dairy intake.
Factory milk intake was negatively associated with B. angulatum but positively associated with B. pseudocatenulatum.
Dietary intake was assessed through a standardized food frequency questionnaire.
Results
Mongolia ranked among the top eight of 30 countries for Bifidobacterium Shannon diversity in a global comparative analysis.
The global dataset comprised 1,286 healthy adults from 29 countries (30 total including Mongolia).
Harmonized bioinformatic and statistical pipelines were used to enable cross-country comparison.
The curated global dataset was used to contextualize Mongolian Bifidobacterium diversity within a broader international framework.
Total Bifidobacterium abundance showed substantial inter-individual and regional variation even within Mongolia.
Results
Strong geographic structuring of Bifidobacterium community composition was observed across four Mongolian regions.
Beta-diversity analyses confirmed regional differentiation with PERMANOVA p < 0.001.
The four recruitment regions included Khuvsgul, Dundgobi, Bulgan, and Ulaanbaatar.
Nomadic versus urban lifestyle appeared to be a key axis of variation, with nomadic regions (Khuvsgul, Dundgobi) showing distinct Bifidobacterium profiles compared to urban Ulaanbaatar.
Alpha- and beta-diversity metrics were both applied to characterize community-level differences.
What This Means
This research suggests that Mongolian adults, particularly those living nomadic lifestyles in rural regions, harbor a notably diverse community of Bifidobacterium bacteria in their guts — a group of microbes often associated with digestive and immune health. When compared to people from 29 other countries, Mongolia ranked in the top eight for this type of bacterial diversity. The study also found that the specific mix of Bifidobacterium species varied considerably depending on which region of Mongolia someone lived in, with nomadic herders tending to have different species profiles than urban residents of the capital city Ulaanbaatar.
One of the most striking findings was the connection between traditional dairy foods and specific gut bacteria. People who consumed more homemade yogurt and traditional Mongolian dairy products had higher levels of certain Bifidobacterium species (B. angulatum and B. catenulatum), while those who drank more factory-produced milk had different patterns — lower B. angulatum but higher B. pseudocatenulatum. This suggests that not all dairy products have the same effect on gut bacteria, and that how food is made and processed may matter.
This research suggests that traditional food practices and lifestyle — such as nomadic herding and consumption of fermented dairy foods — may help shape a diverse gut microbiome in adults. This is notable because most gut microbiome research has focused on industrialized, Western populations, and this study highlights that traditionally living communities may maintain microbial diversity patterns that differ meaningfully from those seen in urban or highly processed-food environments. These findings could inform future research into how diet and lifestyle influence gut health across different cultures.