Glossary
Adipocytes
Bacterial phyla
- the main divisions of bacteria
Bacteroidetes
- a bacterial phyla that has been associated with a high-fibre diet
Bacteroides
- a genus, or category, within the Bacteroidetes phylum
BMI
- a body mass index that defines whether an individual is overweight or underweight
- an individual's weight in kilograms us divided by their height in meters squared
Energy homeostasis
- the control of energy balance
Firmicutes
- a bacterial phyla that has been associated with a low-fibre diet
Glucomannan
- a dietary fibre that occurs naturally in the cell walls of the konjac plant
Konjac
- a plant native to south eastern Asia that is rich in glucomannan
Microbiome
- our collective microbial gene count
Microbiota
- the microorganisms living within our gut
Polysaccharides
- carbohydrate molecules that are derived mainly from plants

Polysaccharide utilization loci (PUL)
- gene clusters that enable Bacteroides to recognise and metabolise certain polysaccharides
White adipose tissue
