Gut Bacteria Convert Plant Nitrates and Iron into Protective Compounds, Karolinska Institutet Study Finds
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered that gut bacteria play a crucial role in converting dietary nitrate and nonheme iron, found in vegetables like spinach and beets, into protective molecules. These molecules, known as dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs), are absorbed by the body and transported to organs such as the liver and kidneys. The study, published in Cell, utilized experiments involving mice, cells, bacteria, and human samples to identify DNICs in various tissues. The absence of DNICs in germ-free mice suggests that the gut microbiota is essential for their formation. Andrei L. Kleschyov, a senior researcher at Karolinska Institutet, highlighted that gut bacteria transform food components into biologically active molecules that influence vital bodily functions. 
