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Digestive Signaling Pathways

Meaning

Digestive Signaling Pathways refer to the complex and integrated network of biochemical and neurological communication routes originating within the gastrointestinal tract that profoundly influence systemic physiology, particularly the endocrine and central nervous systems. These pathways involve the coordinated secretion of various gut hormones, such as ghrelin, leptin, and GLP-1, and the crucial production of bioactive metabolites by the resident gut microbiota, such as short-chain fatty acids. Clinically, optimizing these pathways is absolutely essential for regulating appetite, maintaining energy homeostasis, supporting insulin sensitivity, and stabilizing mood. Dysregulation in these critical pathways is a key etiological factor in numerous metabolic and hormonal disorders.