Gut bacteria use food cues to help time nutrient absorption, study finds

Originally written by Carnegie Mellon University and published in phys.org on October 22, 2026

 edited by Swati Mestri, reviewed by Robert Egan

The GIST

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Biological clocks are often associated with light. Historically, most people started their days when the sun was up and ended their days when the sun set. But new research from Carnegie Mellon University suggests that some of the body's most important timekeepers live in the gut.

A study led by Zheng Kuang, the Eberly Family associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, showed that gut bacteria can detect when people eat and send signals that help intestinal cells absorb nutrients at the right time of day. The findings reveal a previously unknown link between the microbiome, circadian rhythms and metabolism.

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