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Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have found new applications of magnetic field therapy with potential benefits for food sustainability and metabolic health.

The , published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences on June 5, 2025, demonstrated that short, weekly exposures to low-energy magnetic fields during early development enhanced muscle growth and quality in developing organisms, which has implications for improving meat yield and nutritional value in poultry production.

A , published in the same journal on June 6, 2025, demonstrated that magnetic field therapy could alter the gut microbiome in beneficial ways that support better metabolism and bone health, with these effects transferable via microbiota-based therapies.

Led by Associate Professor Alfredo Franco-Obregón, Principal Investigator at the Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech) at NUS and faculty member at the Department of Surgery in NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, the research team showed that magnetic stimulation can induce long-lasting physiological changes without the need for drugs, genetic modification, or invasive procedures.

The team's findings highlight how a non-invasive, low-energy magnetic approach may be used to improve food production outcomes, develop microbiome-based therapies, and strengthen preventive health strategies.

Improving meat quality and growth

Poultry is the most imported livestock commodity globally by volume, with demand projected to grow in years to come. Breeding strategies in the industry that focus solely on muscle growth have often come at the expense of meat quality. In particular, there has long been a trade-off between faster growth and better taste, texture and nutrition.

The team's latest research explores a new way to resolve that challenge. They found that exposing eggs to short bursts of magnetic fields during incubation could improve embryonic survival, overall growth and the development of oxidative muscle, which is a muscle type rich in mitochondria and associated with improved flavor and nutritional profile.

The work builds on earlier research by the team, which showed that magnetic pulses could be used to stimulate animal cells to produce the nutrients needed for lab-grown meat, reducing the need for animal-derived growth supplements. The study pointed to a greener, safer, and more cost-effective method of cell-based meat production.

In the current pilot study, the team demonstrated that brief, twice-weekly magnetic exposure of eggs promoted muscle development, and did so without genetic modification or pharmaceutical intervention.

"By improving both meat growth and quality, and importantly, in a sustainable and drug-free manner, our research could potentially overcome a major bottleneck in poultry farming," said Assoc. Prof. Franco-Obregón. "Our research also highlights how magnetic stimulation can influence tissue development, which has wide-reaching applications in various sectors from food to agriculture to biomedicine."

Conditioning the gut microbiome to improve health

In the second study, the researchers looked into how pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy affects the gut microbiome, and whether its benefits can be transferred to others.

Their study found that weekly magnetic therapy instigated changes in the gut microbiota that led to healthier fat metabolism, improved glucose regulation and stronger bones. In preclinical studies, when gut microbes from magnetically treated donors were transplanted into obese recipients, the latter exhibited similarly enhanced metabolic traits—without receiving direct magnetic treatment.

Interestingly, transferring gut bacteria from donors that received magnetic stimulation led to more consistent improvements in bone health and blood sugar control than transfers from donors that had exercised. This suggests that magnetic stimulation may shape the gut microbiome in uniquely helpful ways.

These preliminary findings extend a broader line of magnetic field research led by Assoc. Prof. Franco-Obregón and his collaborators. In earlier studies, they showed that magnetic muscle stimulation in humans could improve mobility and lean body mass, especially in older adults.

Other studies demonstrated that pulsed magnetic fields could trigger muscle cells to release anticancer molecules, enhance chemotherapy drug uptake in tumors and disrupt the energy metabolism of cancer cells. Crucially, these were all possible without harming surrounding healthy tissue.

Among these diverse applications is a common thread: the use of low-energy, non-invasive pulsed magnetic fields to initiate biological responses that support regeneration, immune modulation or systemic metabolic balance.

"Our work continues to show that the body can respond to magnetic cues in powerful ways—sometimes more gently and effectively than drugs or physical interventions," added Assoc. Prof. Franco-Obregón. "This latest research adds a feather to the cap, placing the gut microbiome on the list of systems that can be modulated in this way."

The potential implications span multiple domains, from preventive health and metabolic disorders to therapeutic strategies for aging populations. With metabolic disease and frailty on the rise in many parts of the world, magnetic conditioning of the microbiome could offer a scalable, non-invasive alternative to improve health resilience.