October 9, 2026 — FxNutrition Intelligence

Macronutrients & Liver Insulin Sensitivity

A randomized clinical trial (n=90) in people with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver (hepatic steatosis) compared three popular diets at matched weight loss of about 10%: very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic, Mediterranean, and very-low-fat plant-forward. Muscle insulin sensitivity rose about 50% in every group, but liver insulin sensitivity rose two to three times more on the very-low-carbohydrate diet (p < 0.001).

Liver fat, new fat production in the liver (hepatic de novo lipogenesis), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and 24-hour glucose and insulin also fell the most in the very-low-carbohydrate group. LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and 24-hour triglycerides did not differ between diets.

Takeaway: At matched weight loss of about 10%, the very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet produced the biggest improvements in liver insulin sensitivity, liver fat, and HbA1c, with no difference in LDL cholesterol or apolipoprotein B across diets. Participants had obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver, so the results may not carry over to other groups.

Read study → Cell Metabolism, October 6, 2026

Lactose & Liver Fat Synthesis

A small but notable randomized crossover trial (n=24) challenges the view that galactose-containing sugars behave like glucose in the liver. Adults without obesity drank a high-fat beverage with 100 g of maltodextrin (a glucose polymer), lactose, or sucrose. Peak liver fat synthesis (hepatic de novo lipogenesis) reached 22% with lactose versus 11% with maltodextrin (p < 0.001), statistically indistinguishable from sucrose at 23%.

Blood triglycerides after the drink also rose more with lactose than with maltodextrin, and more of the ingested fat showed up in very-low-density lipoprotein and chylomicron triglycerides. Each visit involved a single test drink in adults without obesity, so the trial does not show what habitual lactose intake does over time.

Takeaway: Lactose raised liver fat synthesis about as much as sucrose, and about twice as much as the glucose-based maltodextrin. These were single test drinks in adults without obesity, so the results say little about everyday dairy intake.

Read study → The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2026

Short-Chain Fatty Acids: Small Intestine vs Colon

A randomized, single-blinded crossover trial (n=28) in healthy adults compared a single 230 mmol dose of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs, which gut bacteria make when they ferment fiber in the colon) delivered to the small intestine, the same dose delivered to the colon, and a placebo, with blood sampled for 8 hours. Release of the gut hormone PYY, the primary outcome, was greater after colonic delivery (adjusted p = 0.04), while circulating acetate, propionate, and butyrate were higher after small intestinal delivery (all adjusted p < 0.001).

Unexpectedly, release of the gut hormone GLP-1 was also higher after small intestinal delivery (adjusted p = 0.03). Glucose and C-peptide did not differ by delivery site. Both SCFA conditions reduced self-reported appetite, more so with small intestinal delivery. The trial gave single SCFA doses to healthy adults rather than dietary fiber.

Takeaway: Where the SCFAs were delivered changed the response: colonic delivery gave a larger PYY response, while small intestinal delivery gave higher blood SCFAs, higher GLP-1, and a larger appetite reduction. Because the doses were given directly to healthy adults, the findings describe mechanism rather than the effect of eating fiber.

Read study → The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2026

How to lower inflammation from morning to evening

The Doctor’s Kitchen • October 7, 2026

Worth your time if clients are asking how meal timing and daily rhythms fit into inflammation. Dr. Rupy Aujla talks with immunologist Dr. Jenna Macciochi about how short-term inflammation differs from chronic low-grade inflammation, and how meal timing, whole-food eating patterns, and daily rhythms relate to immune recovery. Listen →

How Menopause Changes Your Gut Health with a Leading Gastroenterologist

unPAUSED • October 6, 2026

Relevant for practitioners seeing midlife clients with new constipation or bloating. Dr. Mary Claire Haver talks with Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a Harvard neurogastroenterologist, about why constipation, bloating, and slower gut motility often show up in perimenopause and menopause, including where estrogen receptors sit in the digestive tract and how dietary fiber fits in. Listen →

After Breast Cancer: Post-Treatment Symptoms & Patient Care

The DUTCH Podcast • October 6, 2026

Relevant for practitioners supporting clients after oncology treatment ends. Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton hosts breast cancer specialist Dr. Jenn Simmons on care after treatment ends, including lingering menopause-type symptoms and what supportive approaches look like when standard hormone therapy is not an option. Listen →

Nutrigenomics for Precision Nutrition Protocols

CNS Unfiltered • October 5, 2026

Useful if you’re weighing how genetic testing fits alongside functional labs. Host Jena talks with board-certified nutrition specialist Shelley Swapp, CNS, about turning single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) into dietary recommendations and using genetic findings alongside functional lab testing. Listen →

The Science of Blueberries for Brain and Vascular Health

FoundMyFitness • October 1, 2026

Especially relevant if your clients are asking about blueberries and brain or vascular health. Dr. Rhonda Patrick explains how blueberry anthocyanins and their metabolites act as signaling molecules that support blood vessel function and memory, and how long-term studies link regular intake to slower cognitive aging. Listen →

October 20

Interpreting Heavy Metals: Selecting the Correct Test and Building a Clinical Plan
Webinar | Doctor’s Data | 12 PM PT | Register →

October 21

Impacting Breast Cancer Risk with a Functional Medicine Approach
Webinar | Precision Analytical (DUTCH) | 12 PM PT | Register →

October 21

Interpreting GI-MAP® Results in Patients Taking GLP-1 Medications
Webinar | Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory | 2 PM CT | Register →

October 22

Toxic or Therapeutic? Rethinking Hydrogen Sulfide in Gut Health & Longevity
Webinar | Dr. Kara Fitzgerald | 3 PM ET | Register →

October 27

When the Microbiome Shrinks – Organic Acids, Neurotransmitters and Depression
Webinar | Mosaic Diagnostics | 3 PM ET | Register →

Practice Better Adds Form Reminders and Note Cosigning

Practice Better added two features. Automated form reminders let clinicians schedule up to three reminders at custom intervals, using an editable Form Reminder email template, for clients who have not finished an intake or assessment form; reminders stop once the form is submitted. On the Team plan, note cosigning lets supervising practitioners review and formally cosign session notes written by associates or interns without reopening or changing the original note. Release notes: Form reminders →  •  Note cosigning →

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