Gut Microbiota and Its Role in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome: A Narrative Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/JEHS.2025.85.66499Keywords
gut microbiota, obesity, metabolic syndrome, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, short-chain fatty acidsAbstract
Background. Obesity and metabolic syndrome represent major global health challenges, with steadily increasing prevalence worldwide. Beyond caloric intake and physical activity, the gut microbiota has emerged as an important modulator of host metabolism and metabolic homeostasis.
Objective. To summarize current evidence regarding the role of gut microbiota in obesity and metabolic syndrome and to discuss potential therapeutic interventions targeting the microbiota.
Methods. This narrative review was based on a literature search in PubMed using the following keywords: gut microbiota, obesity, metabolic syndrome, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation. Preference was given to systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials.
Results. Individuals with obesity typically exhibit reduced gut microbial diversity and altered relative abundances of beneficial taxa such as Akkermansia muciniphila and Bifidobacterium longum. Evidence from clinical and translational studies indicates that obesity is associated with decreased microbial diversity and functional alterations affecting short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, bile acid metabolism, and inflammatory signaling. Experimental and clinical findings suggest that probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) may improve selected metabolic parameters, although results remain heterogeneous. Moreover, baseline gut microbiota composition may influence the effectiveness of lifestyle and dietary interventions.
Conclusions. The gut microbiota plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Interventions such as probiotics, FMT, and high-fiber diets show therapeutic potential but require larger, standardized, long-term clinical trials to confirm their efficacy and safety.
References
[1] World Health Organization. Obesity and overweight – Fact sheet. 2023.
[2] Carmody RN, Bisanz JE. Roles of the gut microbiome in weight management. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2023;21(8):535–550. doi:10.1038/s41579-023-00888-0.
[3] Liu BN, Liu XT, Liang ZH, Wang JH. Gut microbiota in obesity. World J Gastroenterol. 2021;27(25):3837–3850. doi:10.3748/wjg.v27.i25.3837.
[4] Wu J, Yang K, Fu H, et al. Targeting the gut microbiota and its metabolites for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023;14:1183355. doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1183355.
[5] Le Chatelier E, Nielsen T, Qin J, et al. Richness of human gut microbiome correlates with metabolic markers. Nature. 2013;500(7464):541–546. doi:10.1038/nature12506.
[6] Turnbaugh PJ, Ley RE, Mahowald MA, Magrini V, Mardis ER, Gordon JI. An obesity-associated gut microbiome with increased capacity for energy harvest. Nature. 2006;444(7122):1027–1031. doi:10.1038/nature05414.
[7] Cani PD, Amar J, Iglesias MA, et al. Metabolic endotoxemia initiates obesity and insulin resistance. Diabetes. 2007;56(7):1761–1772. doi:10.2337/db06-1491.
[8] Valdes AM, Walter J, Segal E, Spector TD. Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. BMJ. 2018;361:k2179. doi:10.1136/bmj.k2179.
[9] Monda V, Villano I, Messina A, et al. Exercise modifies the gut microbiota with positive health effects. Nutrients. 2017;9(9):946. doi:10.3390/nu9090946.
[10] Kootte RS, Levin E, Salojärvi J, et al. Improvement of insulin sensitivity after lean donor feces in metabolic syndrome is driven by baseline intestinal microbiota composition. Cell Metab. 2017;26(4):611–619.e6. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2017.09.008.
[11] Depommier C, Everard A, Druart C, et al. Supplementation with Akkermansia muciniphila in overweight and obese human volunteers: a proof-of-concept exploratory study. Nat Med. 2019;25(7):1096–1103. doi:10.1038/s41591-019-0495-2.
[12] Li Z, Liu D, Gu R, et al. Fecal microbiota transplantation in obesity metabolism: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2023;202:110803. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2023.110803.
[13] Perna S, Ilyas Z, Giacosa A, et al. Is probiotic supplementation useful for the management of body weight and other anthropometric measures in adults affected by overweight and obesity with metabolic related diseases? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2021;13(2):666. doi:10.3390/nu13020666.
[14] Mayta-Tovalino F, Diaz-Arocutipa C, Marino-Oviedo L, et al. Effects of probiotics on intermediate cardiovascular outcomes in patients with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Med. 2023;12(7):2554. doi:10.3390/jcm12072554.
[15] Vetrani C, Costabile G, Di Marino L, Rivellese AA. From gut microbiota through low-grade inflammation to metabolic disorders: a narrative review. Nutrients. 2022;14(8):1602. doi:10.3390/nu14081602.
[16] Halabitska I, Petakh P, Kamyshna I, et al. The interplay of gut microbiota, obesity, and depression: insights and interventions. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2024;81(1):443. doi:10.1007/s00018-024-05476-w.
[17] Tilg H, Moschen AR. Microbiota and diabetes: an evolving relationship. Gut. 2014;63(9):1513–1521. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2014-306928.
[18] Bäckhed F, Ding H, Wang T, et al. The gut microbiota as an environmental factor that regulates fat storage. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004;101(44):15718–15723. doi:10.1073/pnas.0407076101.
[19] Clemente JC, Ursell LK, Parfrey LW, Knight R. The impact of the gut microbiota on human health: an integrative view. Cell. 2012;148(6):1258–1270. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2012.01.035.
[20] Ridaura VK, Faith JJ, Rey FE, et al. Gut microbiota from twins discordant for obesity modulate metabolism in mice. Science. 2013;341(6150):1241214. doi:10.1126/science.1241214.
[21] Zheng P, Zeng B, Zhou C, et al. Gut microbiome remodeling induces depressive-like behaviors through a pathway mediated by the host’s metabolism. Mol Psychiatry. 2016;21(6):786–796. doi:10.1038/mp.2016.44.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Adrian Jan Pączek, Aleksandra Kowalczyk, Wiktoria Staniszewska, Paweł Dyczek, Julia Hofman
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The periodical offers access to content in the Open Access system under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 136
Number of citations: 0
