Our gut microbiomes do it all. They speed our digestion; they shape our mood; and they train our immune systems. They even replace our cells — or at least, their byproducts do, as recent research reveals that the microbial metabolites that are left behind from the digestion of the amino acid tryptophan could restore the hormone-producing cells in our guts.
Reported in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, the results show that these hormone-producing cells are reduced in individuals with obesity, possibly contributing to obesity-related metabolic conditions. But the research also suggests that these reductions could be reversed thanks to the gut microbiome, creating a possibility for future treatments or therapies for metabolic conditions (and for possible alternatives to drugs like Ozempic).
“Our findings suggest that microbial metabolites derived from dietary tryptophan can reverse obesity-associated reductions in hormone-secreting gut cells,” said Alip Borthakur, a study author and an assistant professor ...
