Research

Mixed

High-dose long-chain corn bran arabinoxylan supplementation increases fecal propionate concentrations in adults with overweight and obesity, driven by specific shifts in gut microbiota composition (Bifidobacterium longum, Bacteroides obeum, and Prevotella succinatutens) rather than baseline microbiota.

If you have overweight or obesity, adding high-dose corn bran arabinoxylan (25-35g/day) can boost beneficial gut bacteria that produce propionate, a metabolite linked to metabolic health. However, results vary by person; your specific gut bacteria determine if and how much propionate you produce. Consistency is key, as effects were seen within one week.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Arabinoxylan further increased fecal propionate concentrations (p = 0.012, Friedman’s test)... multiple linear regression (MLR) analyses revealed that the propionate response was predictable through shifts and, to a lesser degree, baseline composition of the microbiota.
Nguyen K. Nguyen et al. · Microbiome · 2020

Why this rating

Randomized controlled trial with a control group, though exploratory and small sample size (n=31).

Source

Gut microbiota modulation with long-chain corn bran arabinoxylan in adults with overweight and obesity is linked to an individualized temporal increase in fecal propionate

Nguyen K. Nguyen et al. · Microbiome · 2020

DOI 10.1186/s40168-020-00887-w

rct · n=31Cited 194×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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