Research
Energy balance
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by gut microbiota from dietary fiber can influence satiety, energy expenditure, and glucose metabolism, but human trials on oral SCFA supplementation have shown mixed or null results for improving glucose metabolism or vagal tone.
Prioritize dietary fiber intake to naturally produce SCFAs in the gut, rather than relying on oral SCFA supplements, which have not consistently shown benefits in human trials.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Several human trials have suggested a positive effect of SCFAs on energy expenditure, glucose metabolism, and appetite... our group recently showed that oral administration of SCFA butyrate does not improve glucose metabolism or vagal tone in metabolic syndrome subjects
Why this rating
Mixed results from human trials, with some showing benefits and others showing no effect.
Source
The Role of the Gut Microbiota in the Gut–Brain Axis in Obesity: Mechanisms and Future Implications
Jamie van Son et al. · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2021
DOI 10.3390/ijms22062993
narrative_reviewCited 80×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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