Levels of butyrate and isobutyrate, short-chain fatty acids produced by the intestinal microbiota, are associated with an increased risk of developing the disease, according to a study led by the IISPV and Hospital de Mar
A research team led by scientists from the Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), the Hospital de Mar Research Institute and the Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases area of the CIBER (CIBERDEM), has identified two compounds present in the blood – butyrate and isobutyrate – that could act as early biomarkers of the development of type 2 diabetes in apparently healthy people. The work, published in the scientific journal BMC Medicine, is based on longitudinal analysis of more than 2,400 participants in the statewide project Di@bet.es over seven years.
These compounds are short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) produced by the fermentation of dietary fiber in the gut. “This study provides new evidence on the association between SCFA and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes,” explains Dr. Joan Vendrell, clinical coordinator of the CIBERDEM research group at IISPV and professor at the URV. “Notably, elevated levels of butyrate and isobutyrate early in the study were associated with an increased likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, even after adjusting for traditional risk factors such as obesity, arterial hypertension or family history,” adds Dr. Gemma Llauradó, also an investigator of the study, attached to the Endocrinology and Nutrition Service of the Hospital de Mar, a researcher at her research institute.
The impact of diet on gut microbiota
The study also included an analysis of participants’ dietary patterns using a food frequency questionnaire. “Following a Mediterranean diet or consuming high-fiber foods were found to be associated with higher levels of SCFA. Even so, these habits alone did not demonstrate sufficient predictive value on the development of diabetes,” explains researcher Sonia Fernández-Veledo, head of the CIBERDEM research group at the IISPV.
The researchers stress that a diet rich in fiber continues to be fundamental for preserving the balance of the intestinal microbiota, a key factor in metabolic regulation and inflammatory response. In this sense, the work points out that SCFA could function as signaling molecules with a determining role in these physiological processes.
Towards more personalized prevention
This discovery opens the door to new, more effective and personalized prevention strategies based on the analysis of the individual metabolic and microbiotic profile. The authors of the study call for further research to better understand the interaction between these metabolites and the body, and how they can be integrated into clinical protocols for early detection of type 2 diabetes risk.
Reference article
Llauradó G, Cedó L, Climent E, Badia J, Rojo-Martínez G, Flores-Le Roux J, Yanes O, Vinaixa M, Granado-Casas M, Mauricio D, Fernández-Veledo S, Vendrell J. Circulating short-chain fatty acids and Mediterranean food patterns. A potential role for the prediction of type 2 diabetes risk: The Di@bet.es Study. BMC Med. 2025 Jun 6;23(1):337. doi: 10.1186/s12916-025-04186-9.
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