The Study
Ultra-processed foods sourced 7-ketositosterol aggravates colitis through gut dysbiosis induced-PDLIM3 activation
This study found that people with gut inflammation tended to eat more fried and baked foods, and their bodies had more of a chemical called KS. In mice, KS made gut inflammation worse by changing the gut bacteria, which then activated a protein that made inflammation worse. But we can't say for sure that KS causes inflammation in people—just that they're linked.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
Eating lots of fried and baked foods creates a chemical called KS, which changes your gut bacteria. One of those bacteria, Staphylococcus lentus, makes a protein that latches onto a human protein called PDLIM3, turning on inflammation in your gut.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 569 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes—this suggests that avoiding ultra-processed fried foods could help reduce gut inflammation, and a natural herb compound might one day be used as a treatment.
- 2IBD patients ate more fried food and had more KS in their blood.
- 3Mice with KS had worse gut inflammation, more Staphylococcus lentus, and higher PDLIM3 levels.
- 4Blocking the KS-bacteria-PDLIM3 link with tubuloside B reduced inflammation.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Gut Microbes
Year
2025
Authors
Jing Yan, Xiaoqi Pang, Qi Chen, Jingjing Wang, Zimin Wang, Kailin Jiao, Yujie Dai, Ting Xia, Ge Jin, Weilong Zhong, Nan Wang, Bangmao Wang, Jin Zheng, Xin Xu, Hailong Cao
Related Content
Claims (6)
The bacterium Staphylococcus lentus produces a protein called LPDP that binds to PDLIM3 and triggers the p38MAPK/NF-κB inflammatory pathway, resulting in increased severity of colitis in mice.
In mice with intestinal inflammation, 7-ketositosterol increases the abundance of the bacterium Staphylococcus lentus, which worsens inflammation and damages the gut lining, and this effect requires the presence of gut bacteria.
PDLIM3 protein levels are higher in the colon tissue of mice with a specific form of colitis and in humans with ulcerative colitis, and these higher levels are linked to more severe disease and require the presence of gut bacteria.
Tubuloside B, a compound from the herb Cistanche tubulosa, prevents a specific bacterial protein from binding to a human protein in mice, resulting in less severe colon inflammation caused by Staphylococcus lentus.
Higher consumption of 7-ketositosterol, a compound formed in ultra-processed fried and baked foods, is linked to more severe inflammation in the intestines of people with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, as shown by colonoscopy, tissue analysis, and fecal calprotectin measurements.
People who consume large amounts of animal protein and ultra-processed foods have higher levels of systemic inflammation and a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular disease.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.