Long COVID Atlas › Glossary › Short-chain fatty acids
ProcessShort-chain fatty acids
https://longcovidatlas.org/glossary/short-chain-fatty-acids
In plain language
What it is
Helpful molecules that gut bacteria make when they ferment dietary fibre.
Why it matters
They feed the cells lining your gut, calm inflammation, and feed signals that reach the immune system and brain, so losing them matters body-wide.
Think of it like
The useful output of a well-run compost heap: break down the fibre and you get something that nourishes everything downstream.
For specialists
Formal definition
Carboxylic acids such as butyrate, propionate, and acetate produced by bacterial fermentation of dietary fibre in the colon.
Mechanism
Butyrate is the primary energy source for colonocytes and supports barrier integrity and regulatory immune signalling; reduced production follows depletion of fibre-fermenting bacteria.
Sources
- Gut microbiome dysbiosis and SCFA-producer depletion in long COVID free full text ›