Research
Mixed
Bacterial cross-feeding is essential for the production of butyrate and propionate from prebiotic substrates like inulin and resistant starch.
A diverse diet with various types of fibers supports a diverse microbiome, which enables cross-feeding. This natural process is more effective at producing beneficial SCFAs than consuming single prebiotic supplements in isolation.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Bacterial cross-feeding plays a key role in maintaining the diversity and stability of this complex ecosystem... conversion of the lactate and acetate produced by bifidobacteria during growth into butyrate
Why this rating
Supported by multiple in vitro, in silico, and some in vivo studies.
Source
Short chain fatty acids in human gut and metabolic health
Ellen E. Blaak et al. · Beneficial Microbes · 2020
DOI 10.3920/bm2020.0057
narrative_reviewCited 1,071×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Increasing microbial production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) via dietary fiber or prebiotic intake improves gut barrier integrity and reduces intestinal inflammation.Moderate
- Elevated gut-derived SCFA production contributes to metabolic health by modulating appetite, energy expenditure, and glucose homeostasis.Moderate
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