Research
Hormonal
Bacterial translocation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the gut to the bloodstream (metabolic endotoxemia) due to increased intestinal permeability ('leaky gut') triggers systemic inflammation and insulin resistance.
Avoid excessive intake of saturated fats and refined sugars, which are linked to increased intestinal permeability and higher circulating LPS levels, thereby reducing the risk of inflammation-driven insulin resistance.
GoodSupportsMEDIUM confidence
LPS was postulated to enter the circulation via chylomicrons or via increased intestinal permeability where it induces an inflammatory response in systemic sites.
Why this rating
Strong animal evidence and human correlational data; human causal studies are noted as lacking or controversial.
Source
Gut Microbiota as a Trigger for Metabolic Inflammation in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
Torsten P. M. Scheithauer et al. · Frontiers in Immunology · 2020
DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2020.571731
narrative_reviewCited 645×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Gut microbiota composition and metabolite production (specifically short-chain fatty acids and lipopolysaccharides) trigger chronic low-grade metabolic inflammation (metainflammation), which directly causes insulin resistance and contributes to the development of Type 2 Diabetes.Good
- Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly butyrate, produced by gut microbiota fermentation of fiber, have anti-inflammatory properties and improve insulin sensitivity, although their net effect in obesity is complex and context-dependent.Moderate
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