Your food affects your gut microbiota in the following ways: • The foods you eat have a critical role in balancing your gut bacteria • A diet high in sugar and fats diet can adversely affect gut bacteria, leading to complications like insulin resistance • Feeding bad gut bacteria might cause them to grow faster • Chemical residues and antibiotics might also disrupt the balance of your gut bacteria. If taken out during childhood and adolescence, antibiotics can permanently change certain forms of bacteria • Also, foods treated with pesticides could adversely affect the gut bacterium