Short-chain fatty acids as anti-inflammatory agents in overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Study answer

What this study found

Prebiotic interventions in overweight/obese humans significantly reduced circulating high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS); randomized meta-analysis showed hs-CRP decreased (SMD −0.83; 95% CI −1.56 to −0.11; I2 = 86%; P = 0.02) and LPS decreased (SMD −1.20; 95% CI −1.89 to −0.51; I2 = 87%; P = 0.0006). In animals, prebiotics lowered TNF-α (SMD −0.63; 95% CI −1.19 to −0.07; P = 0.03). For SCFAs in humans, 3 of 4 interventions reduced a systemic inflammatory biomarker. The evidence supports SCFAs and prebiotics as novel aids to reduce obesity-related…

Study & population

Participants were adults who were overweight or obese; some studies included individuals with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes or insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or bariatric status; study designs among humans included randomized controlled trials (27, with 10 crossover trials), 1 intervention study, and 1 secondary…

Intervention

Regimens varied across studies; SCFAs (sodium acetate and sodium butyrate) were delivered orally, intravenously, by infusion, or enema; Prebiotics included resistant starch, inulin, oligofructose, galacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides, arabinoxylan-oligosaccharides, isomalto-oligosaccharides, psyllium,…

Key limitation

Heterogeneity across supplement types, doses, durations, and outcomes; small sample sizes for some analyses; variable study designs; background diet not consistently controlled; exclusion of non-English studies; animal data may involve nontranslatable high-fiber doses; limited data on plasma SCFA measurement as a…

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Original abstract