Hormonal
The gut pathobiont Bilophila wadsworthia acts as a glycine sink by metabolizing glycine via the glycine reductase pathway, thereby lowering circulating glycine levels and negatively impacting metabolic markers.
The presence of the gut bacteria Bilophila wadsworthia consumes glycine, reducing its beneficial effects. Vegan diets tend to reduce this bacteria, thereby increasing glycine. While probiotics targeting this specific bacteria are not yet standard, understanding this link highlights why microbiome composition matters for metabolic health.
These findings suggest the hypothesis that the vegan diet is associated with reduced B. wadsworthia abundance and glycine reductase pathway activity, which in turn correlates with higher circulating glycine levels. Collectively, our results imply that B. wadsworthia may act as a glycine sink in the lumen of the intestinal tract, a role mitigated by adherence to a vegan diet which potentially improves metabolic outcomes.
Why this rating
Validated through in vitro stoichiometry, gene expression, and gnotobiotic mouse models showing causal link between bacteria presence and glycine levels.
Source
A gut pathobiont regulates circulating glycine and host metabolism in a twin study comparing vegan and omnivorous diets
Matthew M. Carter et al. · medRxiv · 2025
DOI 10.1101/2025.01.08.25320192
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