Tag

Short Chain Fatty Acids

All articles tagged with #short chain fatty acids

health-and-nutrition2 months ago•2 min saved

Beyond Digestion: How Fiber Shapes Heart, Brain, and Immune Health

A new review highlights that dietary fiber impacts health far beyond digestion, influencing heart, liver, kidney, lung, and brain function. While most people consume insufficient fiber, increasing intake through diverse plant foods can support gut bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids, which regulate inflammation and immune activity. Experts warn that low fiber intake may contribute to neurodegenerative conditions and metabolic disorders, urging a shift from viewing fiber as mere filler to recognizing it as a critical macronutrient.

via MindBodyGreen|

#chronic-disease-prevention #dietary-fiber #gut-microbiome

science2 months ago•47 min saved

Gut-derived SCFAs: fiber fermentation as a driver of metabolic regulation

SCFAs (acetate, propionate, butyrate) are produced by gut microbes from non-digestible carbohydrates and serve as both energy substrates and signaling molecules. They influence metabolism, immune function, and tissue homeostasis across organs via receptor-mediated signaling and epigenetic mechanisms. Production is shaped by microbiome composition, cross-feeding, and dietary fiber, and the review synthesizes how SCFAs impact health and disease and how diet or therapies might target SCFA pathways for metabolic health.

via Nature|

#dietary-fiber #gpcr-signaling #gut-microbiota

science4 months ago•8 min saved

Gut Microbes Rewrite the Calorie Count, Dethroning a 130-Year-Old Formula

A new DAMM model that accounts for gut bacteria in energy absorption outperforms the century-old Atwater factors, achieving 96% accuracy versus 88% in a small crossover trial (17 healthy adults on Western and high-fiber diets). The study suggests Atwater underestimates energy intake on Western diets because it misses microbial fatty acid production, and raises the possibility that methane-producing microbes hidden in gut biofilms skew stool-based tests. While promising for explaining individual diet differences, DAMM requires further validation for weight loss/gain and broader populations. Published in PLOS ONE (May 27, 2026) with NIH funding.

via StudyFinds|

#atwater-factors #damm-model #energy-absorption

science6 months ago•6 min saved

Gut Microbes Point to Simple B Vitamin Therapy for Parkinson's

A study links gut microbiome changes in Parkinson's disease to lower levels of riboflavin (B2) and biotin (B7), reduced short-chain fatty acids, and thinning of the intestinal mucus, suggesting that oral riboflavin and biotin supplementation could be a simple therapeutic approach; findings come from analyses of patients and controls across several countries, indicating a gut–brain pathway but the treatment would likely require personalized assessment.

via ScienceAlert|

#biotin #gut-microbiome #parkinsons-disease

science8 months ago•67 min saved

Host-gene signals point to gut physiology as main driver of microbiome diversity

A large GWAS of harmonized gut metagenomic data from 16,017 Swedish adults with replication in 12,652 Norwegians identifies host genetic variants linked to microbiome richness and 149 species; the strongest signal at OR51E1–OR51E2 suggests enteroendocrine fatty acid sensing shapes microbial communities, with additional loci near mucin genes and bile-acid pathways. Mendelian randomization links some taxa to LDL cholesterol and BMI-related traits, underscoring gastrointestinal physiology as a key driver of microbiome variation. Limitations include European-ancestry focus and challenges in pinpointing causal genes.

via Nature|

#enteroendocrine-cells #genome-wide-association-study #gut-microbiome

health9 months ago•1 min saved

Top Strategies to Improve Your Gut Health in 2026

Protecting and improving your gut microbiome, a diverse community of bacteria, fungi, and viruses in the gut, is crucial for digestive health, vitamin synthesis, and maintaining the intestinal barrier, with benefits extending beyond digestion.

via South China Morning Post|

#digestive-health #gut-microbiome #health

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Gut Microbes: The Secret to Human Brain Evolution

A new study suggests that the gut microbiome may have played a crucial role in the evolution of larger brains in primates, including humans. Researchers found that gut microbes from larger-brained primates, such as humans and squirrel monkeys, helped convert food into energy for the brain more efficiently than those from smaller-brained primates. This process may have driven hosts to consume more food, channeling excess energy to the brain. However, the study, conducted on mice, requires further research to confirm these findings and understand the exact mechanisms involved.

via Livescience.com|

#brain-evolution #gut-microbiome #metabolism

health3 years ago•5 min saved

Exploring the Benefits of Postbiotics for Gut Health

Postbiotics are the metabolites generated after the digestion of prebiotics and fiber-rich compounds by probiotics and our gut's resident microbiota. They can provide similar benefits to probiotics and prebiotics without any side effects. Postbiotics can shift our gut microbiome towards a healthy composition, stimulate our immune system, and lower the risk of colon cancer. Consuming probiotic-containing foods like yogurt and sauerkraut and prebiotic-rich plant foods can help harness the benefits of postbiotics.

via Medical Xpress|

#gut-health #health #postbiotics

health3 years ago•4 min saved

Gut Bacteria Key to Liver Regeneration.

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich have found that gut bacteria play a crucial role in the liver's regenerative capacity. Short-chain fatty acids produced by gut bacteria are essential for liver cell growth and division. Antibiotics disrupt the microbiome and delay liver regeneration. The study suggests that physicians could examine patients' gut bacteria to determine whether conditions are favorable for surgery or whether it is better to wait for the microbiome to recover.

via SciTechDaily|

#antibiotics #gut-bacteria #health