Nutrition & Healing · ScienceDaily Nutrition · October 12, 2026

Your gut bacteria could be changing how many calories you absorb

Scientists have developed a model showing that gut bacteria play a surprisingly important role in how many calories we absorb, meaning food labels may not tell the full story. In a controlled study, people eating a high-fiber diet absorbed about 116 fewer calories per day than those eating a typical Western diet, without feeling hungrier.

Originally published by ScienceDaily Nutrition. We curate and add context; they did the reporting.

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