Gut microbiome composition and immune dysfunction in HIV patients in Zimbabwe linked to western vs agrarian diet (microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com)

• Rural Zimbabwe residents had lower consumption of high-fat, low-fiber western foods.
• Western diet linked to lower CD4+ T cell percentage and increased exhaustion in PLWH.
• Low food intake associated with poorer immune recovery on ART.

"A study published in Microbiome on 12 May 2026 examined the relationship between diet, gut microbiome, and immune function in people living with HIV (PLWH) in rural and urban Zimbabwe. The research included ART-naïve and ART-treated PLWH and HIV-negative controls. Rural residents consumed fewer high-fat, low-fiber western foods and had lower dietary diversity. Western diet consumption correlated with lower CD4+ T cell percentages and increased T cell exhaustion. Low food intake was associated with muted improvements after ART. Rural microbiomes had more Prevotella and less Bacteroides, but this was not significantly mediated by diet. The findings suggest that western diet may exacerbate HIV pathogenesis in sub-Saharan Africa."