(Robby Berman/ Medical News Today) — We are still learning about the human microbiome, the 10–100 trillion microorganisms living in our bodies, primarily in the human gut. Piece by piece, researchers are putting together how this vast and tiny universe operates, and how it influences our health.
An important player in gut health appears to be butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that supports the health of the microbiome itself.
“In addition,” said Dr. Creedon, “butyrate produced in the gut can enter the bloodstream where it is involved in the regulation of health in other areas of the body, such as the liver, brain, and lungs.”
Dr. Creedon is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Nutritional Studies at King’s College London. She is also the first author of a new study exploring the value of almonds as a means of supporting the microbiome’s supply of butyrate. (…)