Your Gut & Inflammation
Inflammation starts in the gut
70% of your immune system lives in your gut. When the gut barrier weakens ('leaky gut'), bacterial toxins leak into your bloodstream, triggering whole-body inflammation.
Explore the gut-inflammation axis
Tap each factor to learn how it impacts gut health.
Tap each tile to reveal the detail.
The fiber gap
The average adult eats 15g of fiber daily. Optimal is 30-40g. Every 10g increase reduces all-cause mortality by 10%.
Estimate the gap
How many grams of fiber does the average adult eat daily?
Short-chain fatty acids — the gut's longevity payout
When gut bacteria ferment fiber, they produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) — mainly butyrate, propionate, acetate. Butyrate is the colon's preferred fuel and the strongest endogenous anti-inflammatory signal we have: it tightens the gut barrier, dampens NF-κB inflammation, and signals to the brain via the vagus nerve. Diverse fiber sources (resistant starch, legumes, onions, oats, berries) drive higher SCFA production than a single fiber supplement.
Key Takeaway
A healthy gut is your #1 defense against chronic inflammation. Eat 30+ grams of fiber daily from diverse plant sources, and lean toward fermentable fibers (legumes, oats, onions, resistant starch) so your gut bacteria can produce butyrate + the other SCFAs that lower inflammation.