Is the Gut Microbiota a New Factor Contributing to Obesity and Its Metabolic Disorders?

Figure 2

Gut microbiota can have an effect on the host’s health via bacterial metabolites, that is, SCFA and TMAO, and immune responses to bacterial components, that is, TLR4 sensing of LPS. In general, bacterial metabolites have varied effects on metabolism and are markers of risk for disease, whereas bacterial components cause an innate inflammatory response resulting in insulin resistance leading to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and CVD.