Research
Micronutrients & recovery
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.
Increase intake of dietary fiber to promote the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) by gut bacteria, which supports insulin sensitivity and reduces inflammation. Start slowly to minimize digestive discomfort.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
SCFAs, which result from microbial degradation of fibers, have several beneficial effects on host metabolism... in diabetes a reduced SCFA production or uptake, in particular the anti-inflammatory acting butyrate, has been suggested.
Why this rating
Evidence is mixed; some studies show benefit, others show increased production in obesity linked to weight gain.
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
- 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.Good
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