Research

Hormonal

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate and acetate have complex, site-specific effects on neutrophils, potentially promoting anti-inflammatory or pro-resolutive functions depending on the context and receptor interaction (e.g., FFAR2).

Fiber-rich foods produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in your gut, which can have beneficial, anti-inflammatory effects on your immune system. Including fiber in your diet supports these healthy fat-derived signals.

ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Acetate... sustains the pro-resolutive activity of neutrophils against C. difficile infection, via the interaction with the G-protein coupled free fatty acids receptor, type 2 (FFAR2)... Butyrate... promotes anti-atherosclerotic effects... whether butyrate promotes the pro-resolutive function of neutrophils is unclear.
Anna Parolini et al. · Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care · 2024

Why this rating

Review of mixed in vitro and animal data; human data is observational.

Source

Dietary fats as regulators of neutrophil plasticity: an update on molecular mechanisms

Anna Parolini et al. · Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care · 2024

DOI 10.1097/mco.0000000000001055

narrative_reviewCited 2×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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