Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) and Their Role in Metabolic Disorders: A Systematic Review.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review synthesizing studies of mixed cross-sectional and interventional designs
PubMed 41054680 · doi:10.7759/cureus.91579
What was done
Authors conducted a systematic review following PRISMA 2020 guidelines across PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library through June 2025. They included human studies evaluating fecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations and metabolic outcomes. Seven studies comprising a total of 1,650 participants met inclusion criteria, encompassing cross-sectional and interventional designs.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical effect sizes or point estimates. Synthesized findings showed that elevated fecal SCFA levels were frequently associated with increased adiposity, inflammation, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. In contrast, targeted SCFA supplementation (particularly propionate or butyrate) improved insulin sensitivity and reduced energy intake.
Why it matters
This review underscores that high fecal SCFA excretion often reflects metabolic dysregulation and dysbiosis, whereas direct tissue-targeted SCFA delivery has favorable metabolic effects. It highlights the need to differentiate circulating or absorbed SCFAs from unabsorbed fecal output.
Limits
Only seven studies were identified, and no meta-analysis was performed. Risk of bias was moderate across included studies due to small sample sizes and substantial variability in fecal SCFA measurement methodology. Included study designs were mixed, limiting causal inferences from the observational cohorts.
Cited by
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