Kim, Joonbeom, Son, Bokyung, Yoo, Woongjae et al. · Food science and biotechnology · 2026 · DOI
This review examined research linking gut bacteria and their products to fatigue in several conditions, including ME/CFS and long COVID. Researchers observed that people with fatigue-related conditions often show alterations in their gut microbiome—for example, reduced production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids and signs of a leaky gut barrier. The review suggests that certain foods (fiber, fermented products, prebiotics, and polyphenols) may support recovery through microbiome pathways, but notes that more controlled studies are needed before drawing firm conclusions.
For ME/CFS patients and researchers, this review consolidates emerging evidence that gut microbiome alterations—and the metabolites they produce—may be associated with fatigue vulnerability across several related conditions. By analogy, findings from post-COVID and general fatigue cohorts suggest that microbiome-targeted dietary interventions warrant further investigation in ME/CFS-specific populations. However, the relevance of food-based approaches to ME/CFS remains preliminary and requires phenotype-specific, controlled studies.
This review does not establish causal links between microbiome changes and fatigue; it identifies associations observed across heterogeneous cohorts and study designs. It does not recommend any food-based intervention as a treatment for ME/CFS or other fatigue conditions—the authors explicitly call for further controlled trials. It does not confirm that microbiome-targeted dietary approaches will benefit ME/CFS patients specifically, as most evidence comes from non-ME/CFS populations or uncontrolled observational studies.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Kim, Joonbeom, Son, Bokyung, Yoo, Woongjae, & Shin, Hakdong (2026). Gut microbiome-immune-metabolic axis in fatigue: mechanistic insights and food science approaches.. Food science and biotechnology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-026-02282-x
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-kim-2026-gut-microbiome,
author = {Kim, Joonbeom and Son, Bokyung and Yoo, Woongjae and Shin, Hakdong},
title = {Gut microbiome-immune-metabolic axis in fatigue: mechanistic insights and food science approaches.},
journal = {Food science and biotechnology},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1007/s10068-026-02282-x},
note = {PubMed: 42761183},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kim-2026-gut-microbiome},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-09-20. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kim-2026-gut-microbiome
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