Establishing a causal link between gut microbes, body weight gain and glucose metabolism in humans – towards treatment with probiotics

Changes in the gut microbiota are associated with metabolic disorders, such as overweight and elevated blood glucose. Mouse studies have shown that gut microbiota can regulate metabolism with a mechanism related to gut barrier function. An impaired gut barrier permits the translocation of bacteria and their components which, when in contact with the sub-mucosal immune system, evoke metabolic inflammation and distract signalling in metabolically...