Prebiotic Lowers Knee Osteoarthritis Pain

A six‑week randomized trial (University of Nottingham; 177 adults) found 20 g/day inulin modestly reduced knee pain, improved grip strength and pain sensitivity, and raised GLP‑1 levels compared with placebo; dropout rates were much lower than for physiotherapy. The authors propose a gut‑microbiome → short‑chain fatty‑acid → GLP‑1 pathway linking diet to muscle strength and pain. — If reproducible, inexpensive prebiotic treatment could shift osteoarthritis management, expand the role of microbiome interventions in age‑related frailty, and alter how health systems prioritize low‑barrier therapies.