What question did this study set out to answer?

The review aims to summarize the effects of Asian fermented foods on various health domains, including metabolism and inflammation.

February 27, 2026

Asian Ferments: Microbiota, Metabolic, Lipid, Inflammatory, Barrier, And Bile-Acid Pathways

Key Points

The review aims to summarize the effects of Asian fermented foods on various health domains, including metabolism and inflammation.
Conducted systematic searches for studies from 2013-2025 on various Asian fermented foods.
Focused on foods like tempeh, natto, kimchi, and isolated probiotic strains.
Evaluated health domains including gut microbiota, glucose metabolism, and lipid regulation.
Gut microbiota shifted towards beneficial LAB and SCFA producers.
Modest improvements in glycaemic control were observed.
Lipid levels reduced due to bile-acid remodelling.
Increased gut barrier integrity was noted.
Increased anti-inflammatory responses through specific pathways.

Abstract

Aim — This review synthesizes open-access evidence on Asian fermented foods, particularly Indonesian varieties, containing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Bacillus probiotics. Six health domains were considered: gut microbiota modulation, glucose metabolism, lipid regulation, bile-acid/energy signalling, anti-inflammatory activity, and gut-barrier integrity. Mechanistic pathways were mapped, notably SCFA→FFAR2/3→AMPK and BSH-mediated bile-acid remodelling→FXR/TGR5→GLP-1/energy, linking microbial activity to clinical outcomes. Methods — Systematic searches (2013-2025) were performed in PMC, ScienceDirect, Semantic Scholar, BioMed Central, PLOS, and MDPI for studies on tempeh, natto, kimchi, miso/doenjang, bekasam/peda, tempoyak, and isolated strains. Results — Evidence converged across domains: (1) gut microbiota shifted toward LAB/Bifidobacterium and SCFA producers; (2) modest glycaemic improvements (HbA1c, FBG, HOMA-IR) via SCFA-AMPK pathways; (3) lipid reductions (TC, LDL-C, TG) associated with BSH-driven bile-acid remodelling and FXR/TGR5-GLP-1 activity; (4) lower inflammation (CRP, cytokines) through NF-kB/MAPK suppression; (5) strengthened gut-barrier integrity (increased ZO-1/occludin/claudins). High-value microbe-food anchors included Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (kimchi/tempeh), Bacillus subtilis (natto), and Pediococcus spp. (bekasam/peda). Conclusion — Asian fermented foods provide culturally congruent dietary platforms that modestly improve glycaemia, lipid profiles, inflammation, and barrier health. Future priorities are head-to-head randomized trials of Southeast Asian ferments, strain-resolved reporting, matrix-aware dosing/duration, and shared biomarker endpoints.

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