Characterization of the gut micro biota in Koreans and investigation of its association with probiotic consumption: implications for microbial ecology and host health

These findings emphasize the importance of population-specific micro biome research and suggest that diverse host-related and lifestyle factors jointly contribute to shaping gut microbial ecology in Koreans. Probiotic supplementation primarily increased the detection of specific lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacterial species without substantially altering overall alpha diversity, consistent with a modulatory role on targeted taxa rather than broad community restructuring. Together, these results provide a useful framework for future studies linking probiotic-responsive microbial features to human health outcomes and for developing precision nutrition and probiotic strategies in Korean and similar populations.