The study identifies three robust clusters, or enterotypes, in the human gut microbiome, which are not specific to any particular nation or continent. These enterotypes are driven by species composition but also highlight the importance of functional analysis for understanding the community. The enterotypes are stable across different cohorts and can be classified using phylogenetic and functional metrics. They are characterized by distinct microbial communities and functional profiles, reflecting different trophic strategies and ecological niches. While individual host properties like nationality, gender, age, or body mass index do not significantly correlate with enterotypes, specific functional biomarkers do show strong correlations with host properties, suggesting that metagenomics-derived functional biomarkers may be more robust than phylogenetic ones. The findings suggest that the human gut microbiome exists in a limited number of well-balanced symbiotic states that may respond differently to diet and drug intake.The study identifies three robust clusters, or enterotypes, in the human gut microbiome, which are not specific to any particular nation or continent. These enterotypes are driven by species composition but also highlight the importance of functional analysis for understanding the community. The enterotypes are stable across different cohorts and can be classified using phylogenetic and functional metrics. They are characterized by distinct microbial communities and functional profiles, reflecting different trophic strategies and ecological niches. While individual host properties like nationality, gender, age, or body mass index do not significantly correlate with enterotypes, specific functional biomarkers do show strong correlations with host properties, suggesting that metagenomics-derived functional biomarkers may be more robust than phylogenetic ones. The findings suggest that the human gut microbiome exists in a limited number of well-balanced symbiotic states that may respond differently to diet and drug intake.