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Gut microbiota

Inulin regulates endothelial function: a prebiotic smoking gun?

A new study shows that the prebiotic inulin improves vascular function in an animal model of cardiovascular disease. A key mechanism for how dietary gut microbiota modulation regulates host physiology through the activities of host–microbiota co-metabolic signalling via bile acids and glucagon-like peptide 1 is also explained.

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Correspondence to Kieran M. Tuohy.

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Competing interests

F.F. and K.M.T. conduct research projects funded by prebiotics companies (including Cargill, OlioCru and Solactis) and K.M.T. has accepted honoraria for speaking at international conferences from Abbott and Beneo-Orafti. K.M.T. is also coordinator of the project “CirculAting Bile Acids as biomarkers of metabolic health - Linking microbiotA, Diet and Health” (CABALA_Diet&Health), funded under the ERA-NET Cofund of the Joint Programming Initiative 'A healthy diet for a healthy life' part of the European Union's H2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement n.696300.

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Fava, F., Tuohy, K. Inulin regulates endothelial function: a prebiotic smoking gun?. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 14, 392–394 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2017.68

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