Study Finds Gut Bacteria and Diet Boost Fat's Energy Burn

Research from City of Hope, Broad Institute, and Keio University reveals how specific gut microbes work with diet to convert energy-storing white fat into calorie-burning beige fat.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Scientists have discovered that a low-protein diet activates certain gut bacteria which send chemical signals throughout the body, prompting fat tissue to burn energy instead of storing it. The findings uncover a previously unknown biological pathway linking diet, the gut microbiome, and metabolic health, which could inform new treatments for obesity, diabetes, and related diseases.

Why it matters

This research highlights the gut microbiome's active role in interpreting diet and translating that information into signals that the body responds to, opening up new opportunities to understand the connections between microbes, metabolism, and metabolic diseases like obesity and diabetes.

The details

The study found that mice fed a low-protein diet developed large amounts of calorie-burning beige fat, but only if they had the right gut bacteria. Four specific bacterial strains were required to trigger this fat-browning effect, sending signals that changed bile acids and caused the liver to release a metabolism-boosting hormone. When either of these signals was interrupted, the fat-burning effect disappeared.

  • The study was published on March 5, 2026.

The players

City of Hope

One of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. and a leading research center for diabetes.

Broad Institute

A biomedical and genomic research center.

Keio University

A private university in Japan.

Kenya Honda

Co-senior author of the study and adjunct professor at City of Hope.

Ramnik Xavier

Co-senior author of the study, core member at the Broad Institute, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Fat tissue is not fixed — it's surprisingly adaptable. We found that certain gut bacteria can sense what the host is eating and translate that information into signals that tell fat cells to burn energy.”

— Kenya Honda, Co-senior author of the study and adjunct professor at City of Hope (Mirage News)

“This work underscores how the gut microbiome is actively interpreting what we eat and translating that information into signals the body responds to. This opens up an opportunity to think about the interactions between microbes, metabolites and metabolic disease, understand the mechanisms, and potentially translate that into interventions for metabolic health.”

— Ramnik Xavier, Co-senior author of the study, core member at the Broad Institute, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School (Mirage News)

What’s next

The researchers emphasize that the findings should not be directly applied to people, as the low-protein diet used in the study is lower than what is recommended for humans. Instead, the work points to new drug targets and biological pathways activated by microbes that could be further studied to design therapies that safely mimic the benefits.

The takeaway

This research highlights the gut microbiome's active role in interpreting diet and translating that information into signals that the body responds to, opening up new opportunities to understand and potentially treat the connections between microbes, metabolism, and metabolic diseases like obesity and diabetes.