Dietary Fatty Acids Sustain the Growth of the Human Gut Microbiota

Abstract

Increased intake of fats in many developed countries has raised awareness of potentially harmful and beneficial effects of high fat consumption on human health. Some dietary fats escape digestion in the small intestine and reach the colon where they can be metabolized by gut microbiota. We show that human gut microbes are able to maintain a complex community when supplied with dietary fatty acids as the only nutrient and carbon sources. Such fatty acid-based growth leads to lower production of short-chain fatty acids and antioxidants by community members, which potentially have negative health consequences on the host.