This brief post was written as a popular science article for a class on science communication. My own research is currently focused on exactly this topic: describing microbial community dynamics associated with acarbose treatment and the production of butyrate.

A quick internet search search for “low-carb diets” comes back filled with promises to make you sleek, spry, and slim just by cutting out this entire category of foods. The popularity of these diets shouldn't surprise you. Recent research has implicated overconsumption of sugars, the simplest form of carbohydrates, and starchy foods, which can quickly be broken down into sugars, in the increased risk of heart disease, obesity, even some forms of dementia. Americans have responded quickly, with 50% trying to limit their intake of sugars and carbohydrates according to a 2014 survey. That same survey found only 74% of respondents believe that a healthy diet can include moderate amounts of …