Currently, about 10 million people in the world suffer from inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs),^[1] such as Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis and regularly experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, malnutrition, anxiety and depression, which leads to an overall reduction in quality of life.

The Problem

IBDs are autoimmune diseases that are hard to treat. While treatment can significantly reduce symptoms, patients rarely stay completly symptom/flareup free. Inflammatory flare ups can cause lasting damage to the intestine (like scarring and even having whole parts of the intestines removed). One of the biggest issues (besides the physical impairment) is the reduction in quality of life. Some patients experience chronic pain, need a very specialized diet and may not feel comfortable in ordinary social settings, further isolating the patient from a "normal" life.

The role of SCFAs

Short-chain-fatty-acids (SCFAs) are fatty acids which are produced by our gut microbiota out of indigestible carbohydrates, such as dietary fibre or resistant starch. The most abundant (>95%) SCFAs are acetate, propionate and butyrate in a molar ratio of 57:22:21.² In addition to their use as an energy source, they play an important role in gut homeostasis by maintaining the intestinal barrier function and preventing inflammation. In contrast, the deficiency or imbalance of these fatty acids is associated with several diseases, including IBD, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.^3,4,5