Short Chain Fatty Acids News and Research

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Butyrate and propionate are two important short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced in the human gut. They have been shown to have significant immune system effects in the intestinal mucosa, by inducing the differentiation of T-regulatory cells via inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC). This enzyme keeps chromatin from unwinding and, therefore, inhibits gene transcription.

Resistant starch in diet improves balance of gut bacteria, decreases cholesterol

The secret ingredient is in the flour, but its impact lies within the gut. Adding resistant starch to the diets of people with metabolic syndrome can improve bacteria in the gut, according to research from South Dakota State University.

1 Jul 2016

High fibre diet can help reduce food allergies

Eating a diet rich in fibre can actually shape the immune system to reduce allergies to substances such as peanuts, new research shows.

21 Jun 2016

Food allergies linked to diet and gut microbiome

The development of food allergies in mice can be linked to what their gut bacteria are being fed, reports a study published June 21 in Cell Reports. Rodents that received a diet with average calories, sugar, and fiber content from birth were shown to have more severe peanut allergies than those that received a high-fiber diet.

21 Jun 2016

New study sheds light on link between gut microbiome and the brain

Intestinal bacteria that can boost bravery or trigger multiple sclerosis: An increasing body of research results confirms the importance of the "gut-brain axis" for neurology and indicates that the triggers for a number of neurological diseases may be located in the digestive tract.

30 May 2016

Studies show mango consumption may contribute to protective health effects

Four new studies surrounding the effects of mango consumption suggest this superfruit has the potential to help combat adverse effects associated with high fat diets and obesity (animal study), as well inhibit growth of fat cells (anti-lipogenic properties in an in-vivo study), slow advancement of breast cancer tumors (animal study), as well as improve regularity and decrease inflammation associated with constipation (human subject study).

6 May 2016

Substances from tequila plant may help treat osteoporosis

Mexican scientist identified substances from the plant that enhance absorption of calcium in the body.

11 Apr 2016

Liver's cannabinoid receptors could be targeted to combat liver cancer in some patients

A new study reveals that the liver's cannabinoid receptors could be targeted to fight liver cancer in some patients; and it offers a way to predict what treatments have the best chance of working.

23 Nov 2015

Diet missing soluble fiber promotes inflammation in the intestines, leading to weight gain

Eating too much high-fat, high-calorie food is considered the primary cause of obesity and obesity-related disease, including diabetes. While the excess calories consumed are a direct cause of the fat accumulation, scientists suspect that low-grade inflammation due to an altered gut microbiome may also be involved.

30 Oct 2015

Gut bacteria may increase risk of metabolic syndrome

An excess of bacteria in the gut can change the way the liver processes fat and could lead to the development of metabolic syndrome, according to health researchers.

30 Oct 2015

Study shows how dietary fatty acids affect development and progression of multiple sclerosis

Dietary fatty acids affect the development and progression of autoimmune chronic-inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis. In a collaborative study between the Departments of Neurology at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (St. Josef-Hospital) and the Friedrich Alexander Universtiy Erlangen, researchers now found that long-chain fatty acids promote the development and propagation of CNS reactive immune cells in the intestinal wall. On the contrary, short-chain fatty acids promote the development and propagation of regulatory cells in the immune system.

22 Oct 2015

Purple potatoes may help prevent colon cancer

Compounds found in purple potatoes may help kill colon cancer stem cells and limit the spread of the cancer, according to a team of researchers.

27 Aug 2015

Researchers show how microbiota protects against type 1 diabetes development

Our bodies have ten times the amount of microbes than human cells. This set of bacteria is called microbiota. In some instances, bacteria known as pathogens can cause infectious diseases. However, these micro-organisms can also protect us from certain diseases. Researchers from Inserm, Paris Descartes University and the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research), through collaboration with teams from China and Sweden, have recently shown how microbiota protects against the development of type 1 diabetes.

7 Aug 2015

New collection of papers adds to mounting evidence of gut microbiome’s influential role in health

A newly released collection of papers, the result of the Gut in Focus Symposium Nobel Forum held earlier this year, is adding to the mounting evidence of the influential role the gut microbiome plays in health.

1 Jul 2015

Enhancing body's gut defense system can reverse bloodstream infections

An upset in the body's natural balance of gut bacteria that may lead to life-threatening bloodstream infections can be reversed by enhancing a specific immune defense response, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

9 Jun 2015

Researchers find strong association between lifestyles of indigenous communities and gut microbiome

An international team of researchers led by the University of Oklahoma has discovered a strong association between the lifestyles of indigenous communities and their gut microbial ecologies (gut microbiome), a study that may have implications for the health of all people.

26 Mar 2015

Findings could accelerate development of prebiotic medicines for bowel problems, autoimmune diseases

Bacteria that have evolved to eat their way through yeast in the human gut could inform the development of new treatments for people suffering from bowel diseases.

8 Jan 2015

Research: Gut bacteria may cause animals to gain weight

A species of gut bacteria called Clostridium ramosum, coupled with a high-fat diet, may cause animals to gain weight. The work is published this week in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

30 Sep 2014

Consumption of resistant starch may help reduce colorectal cancer risk linked with high red meat diet

Consumption of a type of starch that acts like fiber may help reduce colorectal cancer risk associated with a high red meat diet, according to a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

4 Aug 2014

Biologists show bioelectrical signals control tumors arising from cancer-causing genes, fatty acid

Developmental biologists at Tufts University, using a tadpole model, have shown that bioelectrical signals from distant cells control the incidence of tumors arising from cancer-causing genes and that this process is impacted by levels of a common fatty acid produced by bacteria found in the tadpole and also in humans.

28 May 2014

Study reveals surprising relationships between diet and release of hormones that suppress eating

By comparing how gut microbes from human vegetarians and grass-grazing baboons digest different diets, researchers have shown that ancestral human diets, so called "paleo" diets, did not necessarily result in better appetite suppression.

20 May 2014