Nature Reviews Endocrinology | 2019
SCFAs — the thin microbial metabolic line between good and bad
Abstract
By combining genetic, metagenomic and metabolic data in humans, a recent study has identified causal relationships between the capacity of gut microorganisms to produce short-chain fatty acids, such as butyrate and propionate, and metabolic traits of the host, including insulin response during an oral glucose tolerance test and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus.