Research

Hormonal

Higher proportions of non-12-hydroxylated bile acids (non-12-OH BAs) are associated with a 'metabolically healthy' phenotype in high-BMI individuals and obesity resistance in mice, whereas higher 12-OH BAs are linked to metabolic dysfunction.

This study suggests that the *type* of bile acids in your body, not just the total amount, may indicate your metabolic health. People with high BMI who have higher levels of 'non-12-OH' bile acids (like UDCA and CDCA) tend to be metabolically healthier. This is a biomarker for research and potential future diagnostics, not a current self-test. Focus on maintaining metabolic health through diet and activity, which may naturally support a favorable bile acid profile.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
The proportion of non-12-OH BAs was significantly decreased in the unhealthy high BMI subjects... The HF-OR mice had an enhanced level of non-12-OH BAs.
Meilin Wei et al. · EBioMedicine · 2020

Why this rating

Strong human cohort data (183 subjects) combined with consistent animal model validation.

Source

A dysregulated bile acid-gut microbiota axis contributes to obesity susceptibility

Meilin Wei et al. · EBioMedicine · 2020

DOI 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.102766

cross_sectional · n=183Cited 239×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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