Longevity & AgingGut Bacteria Team Up to Convert Fiber Into a Key Longevity Metabolite
Researchers at ETH Zürich discovered that dietary fiber — especially pectin — boosts production of indole-3-propionate (IPA), a gut metabolite associated with protection against inflammatory bowel disease, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer. Using anaerobic fecal microbiota cultures from 16 healthy adults supplemented with eight different fibers and tryptophan, the team found that IPA production was strongly donor-specific and linked to pectin. They identified a novel two-microbe cross-feeding mechanism: Lachnospira eligens converts tryptophan into indole-3-lactate (ILA), which is then consumed by a newly identified IPA producer, Enterocloster aldenensis, completing the pathway. Co-culture experiments confirmed this handoff. These findings suggest targeted dietary interventions — particularly increasing pectin intake — could promote beneficial gut metabolite production relevant to long-term health.
