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.
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Serino, M. SCFAs — the thin microbial metabolic line between good and bad. Nat Rev Endocrinol 15, 318–319 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-019-0205-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-019-0205-7
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