Rethinking the Gut-Bone Axis: Diet, the Gut Ecosystem, and Skeletal Health
- 1Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, Biomedical Physical Science Building, 567 Willson Road, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
Abstract
Purpose of Review: The gut–bone field has expanded beyond its initial focus on the gut microbiota to include microbial metabolism, epithelial barrier integrity, immune and endocrine signaling, and host–microbial interactions. This review uses a functional gut ecosystem framework to integrate these mechanisms and examine how diet and other exposures influence skeletal health.
Recent Findings: No consistent microbial signature of osteoporosis has emerged across populations or experimental models. Instead, recent studies indicate that skeletal responses are associated with functional outputs of the gut ecosystem, including nutrient bioavailability, microbial co-metabolic products, barrier integrity, and host sensing. Gut-derived signals may act directly on bone or be further processed by the host. Diverse interventions, including whole foods, probiotics, postbiotics, and targeted therapies, can converge on these functions.
Summary: Bone responds to the integrated biological signals generated by the gut ecosystem rather than microbial composition alone. Defining these functions and individual responder phenotypes may provide new approaches for preserving skeletal health.
Related
- Based on the skeletal-muscle dual stem cell chemotaxis and bidirectional differentiation mechanism to reinterpret the “sinew-bone interdependence” theory
- The cellular ecosystem of skeletal muscle regeneration: molecular mechanisms, pathological disorders, and potential therapeutic strategies
- Immunosenescence and bone remodeling: from immune cell senescence to skeletal aging through the bone marrow microenvironment
- The Central Role of the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α Signaling Axis in Skeletal Muscle Physiology and Pathology and Its Targeted Therapeutic Strategies
- The gut microbiota-bone marrow axis: an emerging role in chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression
BibTeX
@article{mccabe2026rethinking,
title = {{Rethinking the Gut-Bone Axis: Diet, the Gut Ecosystem, and Skeletal Health}},
author = {Laura R. McCabe},
journal = {Current Osteoporosis Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s11914-026-00990-1},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11914-026-00990-1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Rethinking the Gut-Bone Axis: Diet, the Gut Ecosystem, and Skeletal Health
AU - Laura R. McCabe
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Current Osteoporosis Reports
DO - 10.1007/s11914-026-00990-1
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11914-026-00990-1
AB - Purpose of Review: The gut–bone field has expanded beyond its initial focus on the gut microbiota to include microbial metabolism, epithelial barrier integrity, immune and endocrine signaling, and host–microbial interactions. This review uses a functional gut ecosystem framework to integrate these mechanisms and examine how diet and other exposures influence skeletal health. Recent Findings: No consistent microbial signature of osteoporosis has emerged across populations or experimental models. Instead, recent studies indicate that skeletal responses are associated with functional outputs of the gut ecosystem, including nutrient bioavailability, microbial co-metabolic products, barrier integrity, and host sensing. Gut-derived signals may act directly on bone or be further processed by the host. Diverse interventions, including whole foods, probiotics, postbiotics, and targeted therapies, can converge on these functions. Summary: Bone responds to the integrated biological signals generated by the gut ecosystem rather than microbial composition alone. Defining these functions and individual responder phenotypes may provide new approaches for preserving skeletal health.
SN - 1544-1873
SN - 1544-2241
ER -