Obesity and diabetes can be managed better by keeping gut and liver healthy, claims new study

Diabetes and obesity: Researchers believe that with millions of adults worldwide living with diabetes and obesity, understanding the gut-liver connection could be a game-changer (Image: Pexels)

Obesity and Type 2 diabetes are growing problems across the world. Scientists are now discovering that the solution may not only be about diet, exercise or medicine. It may also lie in the gut and liver. Recent studies show that these two organs are in constant communication with each other, a connection that plays a huge role in how your body processes fat and sugar.

The gut-liver axis is a system where the gut and liver communicate with each other using tiny chemicals called metabolites. Healthy gut bacteria produce these metabolites, which help the liver manage sugar and fat properly. But in people who are overweight or have diabetes, this balance can get disturbed. Poor diet, inflammation, and unhealthy gut bacteria can send the wrong signals to the liver, making it harder to control blood sugar and store fat.

According to a study published in 2025 in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers analysed blood from the portal vein (the vessel that carries blood from the gut to the liver) in mice. They found that mice prone to obesity and diabetes had very different gut chemicals compared to healthy mice. Some of these metabolites, when tested on liver cells, actually helped the liver process sugar better and reduced fat buildup. In other words, these tiny molecules could "reset" the liver to work more efficiently.

Gut bacteria also affect bile acids, which help digest fat. Changes in bile acids can influence metabolism, showing that the gut and liver work together in multiple ways to control weight and blood sugar. Traditional treatments for obesity and diabetes, like diet changes, exercise, or medications, help control symptoms but don't always deal with the underlying problem. By focusing on the gut-liver axis, scientists hope to develop treatments that target the root