# Inulin fiber triggers bile acid shifts and type 2 inflammation in mouse lungs and gut

- Published: 2026-11-07 12:42 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Biology & biochemistry
- Tags: dietary inulin inflammation, microbiota bile acid metabolism, type 2 inflammation lungs, cholic acid FXR receptor, inulin allergic airway response
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-4b93020676129addc0e4654c_inulin_fiber_triggers/

**Researchers found that dietary inulin alters microbiota-derived bile acids in mice, triggering type 2 immune responses in both the intestine and lungs.**

![Inulin fiber triggers bile acid shifts and type 2 inflammation in mouse lungs and gut](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/84731878cda9cef4.jpg)
*Rama, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr*

Dietary inulin alters the composition of the gut microbiota and shifts microbial metabolites, driving type 2 inflammation in both the intestine and the respiratory tract of mice. The study, conducted by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Boyce Thompson Institute, was published in Nature [1]. Using microbial sequencing and untargeted metabolomics, the authors demonstrated that this metabolic shift elevates bile acids, specifically cholic acid, which directly mediates the inflammatory response across mucosal barrier surfaces [1].

## Microbial bile acid metabolism

After two weeks on an inulin-enriched diet, the mice developed a distinct inflammatory profile characterized by interleukin-33 (IL-33) production, activation of group 2 innate lymphoid cells, and elevated levels of eosinophils in the gut and lungs [1]. Direct administration of cholic acid mimicked the effects produced by inulin [1]. Conversely, the genetic deletion of the bile acid receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) substantially diminished these immune alterations [1].

## Allergen and parasite responses

The inflammatory cascade relies strictly on the presence and metabolic functions of the gut microflora [1]. Genetic deletion of a specific bile-acid-metabolizing enzyme in a single bacterial species abolished the capacity of inulin to induce type 2 inflammation [1]. The researchers reproduced these findings in gnotobiotic mice colonized with human-derived microbiota [1]. Functionally, the inulin diet exacerbated allergen-induced airway inflammation in experimental disease models, while simultaneously enhancing host defense mechanisms against parasitic helminths [1].

## Sources

1. [Nature](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05380-y)
2. [knowridge.com](https://knowridge.com/2026/11/a-common-fiber-supplement-may-affect-immunity-beyond-the-gut)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-4b93020676129addc0e4654c_inulin_fiber_triggers/