Chapter 13: Effect of Dietary Fat on Gut Microbiota

The objective of this chapter is to assemble and review the scientific information about the effect of dietary fat on the human gut microbiota. In recent years, the gut microbiota has emerged as a key component of host health and has shown to be involved in different functions such as the development of the immune system, protection against pathogen infections and the extraction of energy nutrients, among others. The different dietary components can influence its composition and function. In a diet, when a major component is reduced another one is increased. This occurs, for example, when the intake of dietary fat is higher than recommendations, lowering, in consequence, the carbohydrate and fiber consumption. This may give rise to a state of imbalance that is usually related to disease. In addition, it is not easy to attribute the effect on the intestinal microbiota to an only dietary component or a group without establishing a similar total dietary intake for all the individuals under study. This should be taken into account when analyzing results from the scientific literature. A type of fat, the amount, and also the energy intake can influence the results. There are other factors influencing gut microbiota composition, including practicalities such as physical exercise, the consumption of pharmacological drugs, a person's own metabolism, etc.