Topic: Research News
Two scientists studied how gut bacteria process plant foods. They found that fiber and certain proteins in plants help create beneficial compounds, while others can harm us. This research could lead to new treatments for diseases.
Plant-based diets are good for our health because they support the growth of a diverse population of bacteria in our intestines. These gut microbes help break down dietary fiber, which is found in many plant foods. Fiber is important because it helps create beneficial compounds that protect us from disease.
Scientists have been trying to understand how gut bacteria process different parts of plant foods. Two studies led by Dr. Jenna AbuSalim and Dr. Joshua Rabinowitz at Ludwig Princeton's looked into this question. They found that certain proteins in plants, called
Implications
Two scientists studied how gut bacteria process plant foods. They found that fiber and certain proteins in plants help create beneficial compounds, while others can harm us. This research could lead to new treatments for diseases.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260814235842.htm
Journal reference:
- Jenna E. AbuSalim, Michael M. MacArthur, Meera Gupta, Asael Roichman, Craig J. Hunter, Felix C. Keber, Seema Chatterjee, Mahta Moussavi, Javad Barouei, Martin Wühr, Dinanath Sulakhe, Christopher J. Lehmann, Mohamed S. Donia, Joshua D. Rabinowitz. Digestion-resistant proteins support the healthy metabolite profiles associated with plant-based diets. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2026; 123 (32) DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2605226123
- Jenna E. AbuSalim, Kellen Olszewski, Salma Youssef, Sarah J. Mitchell, Craig J. Hunter, Jessica Little, Ashley Sidebottom, Jacob A. Boyer, Steve D. Knutson, Laith Z. Samarah, Michael R. MacArthur, Alessa L. Henneberg, Rolf-Peter Ryseck, Christiane A. Opitz, David W. C. MacMillan, Mohamed S. Donia, Eric G. Pamer, Sabrina Imam, Christopher J. Lehmann, Olatoyosi Odenike, Joshua D. Rabinowitz. Host metabolism can produce many indoles and phenols independently of the microbiome. Nature Metabolism, 2026; 8 (7): 1528 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-026-01550-8
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