Ramakrishna · Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology 2013 · narrative review · n=?

Role of the gut microbiota in human nutrition and metabolism.

Cited 502 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review without systematic search methodology or new empirical data

PubMed 24251697 · doi:10.1111/jgh.12294 · record verified 2026-08-26

What was done

This is a narrative review summarizing the metabolic interactions between commensal gut microbiota and the human host, focusing on molecular profiling advances, nutrient generation, and metabolic disease pathways.

What was found

The abstract provides no quantitative data or numerical findings. It qualitatively reports that gut microbiota produce short-chain fatty acids, B vitamins, and vitamin K, and interact with host epithelial and subepithelial receptors to modulate pathways implicated in metabolic syndrome, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cognition.

Why it matters

It outlines the expanded understanding of the gut microbiome from simple nutrient salvage to active regulation of host metabolism and chronic disease mechanisms.

Limits

As presented in the abstract, there are no primary clinical or experimental data, no numerical effect estimates, and no systematic review methodology.

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