An enterotype is a classification of living organisms based on the bacteriological composition of their gut microbiota.
The discovery of three human enterotypes was announced in the April 2011 issue of Nature by Peer Bork and his associates.
[1] They found that enterotypes are not dictated by age, gender, body weight, or national divisions.
[8] Studies also indicate that long-term diet is strongly associated with the gut microbiome composition—those who eat plenty of protein and animal fats typical of Western diet have predominantly Bacteroides bacteria, while for those who consume more carbohydrates, especially fibre, the Prevotella species dominate.
Using longitudinal samples, researchers found that the enterotype of individual chimpanzees varied over time.