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Calorie-restricted oat diet is associated with zonulin and short-chain fatty acid response in metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

  • 2026-04-23
  • Gut microbes 18(1)
    • Linda Klümpen
    • Aakash Mantri
    • Anna Donkers
    • Waldemar Seel
    • Birgit Stoffel-Wagner
    • Martin Coenen
    • Matthias Schmid
    • Leonie Weinhold
    • Fabian Grein
    • Patrick Newels
    • Janis Bedarf
    • Ullrich Wüllner
    • Peter Stehle
    • Marie-Christine Simon

Study Design

Type
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Population
individuals with metabolic syndrome
Methods
two different oat diets, each in a randomized, controlled parallel design; participants either consumed 3 × 100 g oatmeal/d for 2 d or an adapted control diet, or they integrated 1 × 80 g oatmeal/d into their habitual diet for 6 weeks or maintained it unchanged
Duration
2 d and 6 weeks
Oats are associated with positive effects on gut health, but human studies are largely lacking. Therefore, we investigated the effects of two different oat diets on gut permeability makers in individuals with metabolic syndrome, each in a randomized, controlled parallel design. Participants either consumed 3 × 100 g oatmeal/d for 2 d or an adapted control diet, or they integrated 1 × 80 g oatmeal/d into their habitual diet for 6 weeks or maintained it unchanged. Serum zonulin decreased upon 2-d calorie-restricted oat diet compared to baseline, while plasma butyric acid increased compared to the control (n = 27). Zonulin reduction correlated inversely with changes in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly valeric and butyric acids, which were associated with shifts in microbial composition. During the 6-week isocaloric oat diet, these parameters remained stable (n = 22). Our data suggests that alterations in microbiome and related effects on SCFAs upon a short-term calorie-restricted diet with high-dose oats are contributing factors to changes in gut permeability markers. Thus, an intense oat intake might be a suitable and feasible approach to improve obesity-related intestinal barrier dysfunction in metabolic syndrome.German Clinical Trials Register: 07/28/2020, identifier: DRKS00022169.

Research Insights

  • Oat→Increased Fecal Butyrate Levels

    During the 6-week isocaloric oat diet, these parameters remained stable

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    1 × 80 g oatmeal/d for 6 weeks (isocaloric diet)
  • Oat→Reduced Zonulin Level

    During the 6-week isocaloric oat diet, these parameters remained stable

    Effect
    Neutral
    Effect size
    Small
    Dose
    1 × 80 g oatmeal/d for 6 weeks (isocaloric diet)
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