"Scientists in Canada have uncovered a surprising culprit behind high blood sugar and liver problems: a hidden fuel made by gut bacteria. This little-known molecule, called D-lactate, slips into the bloodstream and pushes the liver to make too much sugar and fat. By creating a simple "trap" that blocks the molecule in the gut, researchers saw big improvements in blood sugar, insulin resistance, and liver health in obese mice-without changing diet or weight."
"The findings, published in Cell Metabolism on July 29, 2025, could open the door to new therapies to treat metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease. Researchers at McMaster University, Université Laval and the University of Ottawa showed that a molecule produced by microbes in the gut can sneak into the bloodstream and fuel the liver to make more glucose and fat than necessary."
A molecule produced by gut microbes, D‑lactate, can enter the bloodstream and stimulate the liver to produce excess glucose and lipids, contributing to hyperglycemia and fatty liver. Trapping D‑lactate within the gut prevents its systemic absorption and reduces hepatic glucose and fat synthesis. Gut-localized trapping of D‑lactate improved blood glucose control, lowered insulin resistance, and ameliorated fatty liver in obese mice without altering diet or body weight. Targeting microbially derived D‑lactate represents a potential therapeutic strategy for metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Read at ScienceDaily
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