Skip to main content
About the Institute
  • English
  • Français
  • Español
  • Russian
  • Portuguese
  • Polish

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Diet and health: the role of the intestinal microbiota in metabolic diseases
  3. Eating too much fat unbalances our intestinal flora
  • Learn all about microbiota
    • The gut microbiota
    • The ENT microbiota
    • The pulmonary microbiota
    • The urinary microbiota
    • The skin microbiota
    • The vaginal microbiota
  • Microbiota and related conditions
    • Digestive disorders
    • Women disorders
    • Metabolic disorders
    • Skin disorders
    • Pediatric disorders
    • Psychiatric disorders
    • Neurological disorders
    • Respiratory disorders
    • Urinary disorders
  • Act on your microbiota
    • Probiotics
    • Prebiotics
    • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
    • Diet
  • Publications
    • Thematics folders
    • News
    • Press room
    About the Institute

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Healthcare professionals section

Find here your dedicated section
Biocodex logo
The power of your gut
My microbiota as a woman
Our marvelous microbiota

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Diet and health: the role of the intestinal microbiota in metabolic diseases
  3. Eating too much fat unbalances our intestinal flora
The power of your gut

Eating too much fat unbalances our intestinal flora

Diet
The gut microbiota Diet

Fat? Our taste buds love it and are regularly drenched with it, to the detriment of our intestinal flora5,6, which then succumbs to the Dark Side of inflammation and weight gain. Unless we choose good fats and do not skimp on fibers. A more balanced diet which would be tempting to tailor to each individual, if only our florae were not so diverse…

The power of your gut
My microbiota as a woman
Our marvelous microbiota
  • Learn all about microbiota
    • The gut microbiota
    • The ENT microbiota
    • The pulmonary microbiota
    • The urinary microbiota
    • The skin microbiota
    • The vaginal microbiota
  • Microbiota and related conditions
    • Digestive disorders
    • Women disorders
    • Metabolic disorders
    • Skin disorders
    • Pediatric disorders
    • Psychiatric disorders
    • Neurological disorders
    • Respiratory disorders
    • Urinary disorders
  • Act on your microbiota
    • Probiotics
    • Prebiotics
    • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
    • Diet
  • Publications
    • Thematics folders
    • News
    • Press room
    About the Institute

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Healthcare professionals section

Find here your dedicated section
Biocodex logo

Sources

This article is based on scientific information

Sharing is caring

Your friends might be interested in this topic. Why not share it?

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail

Sections

About this article

Created 26 September 2019
Updated 30 December 2021

Hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, hypertension: the effects of a diet that is too high in fat are known but they are only the tip of the iceberg. Researchers have thoroughly disclosed the major role of the intestinal microbiota in these metabolic disruptions. They also sorted the good fats from the bad

The same observation is made in laboratory mice given a high fat feed as in patients with metabolic syndrome: their intestinal flora does not resemble that of their healthy counterparts: too much fat on a daily basis reduces the amount of Akkermansia muciniphila, a beneficial bacterium which improves glycemia and insulin sensitivity, and protects against the formation of fatty plaques in the vessels (atherosclerosis). As its name indicates, this bacterium also produces a substance called “mucin”, which strengthens the protective mucus of the intestinal barrier. Another side-effect of excess dietary fat: lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, “good” bacteria which reduce inflammation and formation of adipose tissue, are decreased.

Not all fats are the same

But incidentally, which fats are we talking about? Saturated fatty acids like palm oil are indeed to be avoided, as is hammered home by public health messages: they are associated with lowered bacterial diversity and weight gain. Conversely, the oleic acid contained in olive oil, a monounsaturated fatty acid of the omega-9 family, is thought capable of restoring bacterial diversity and of reducing weight –in mice at least. We should also rely on omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as fish oil, which promote the presence of Akkermansia muciniphila, lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. These omega-3-containing foods should moreover take precedence over those containing omega-6, which are also essential to the organism but are to be consumed with moderation as they cause inflammation and a reduction in bifidobacteria

“First and foremost, eat your fiber”

And as fat doesn’t do everything, good or bad, another food category also carries weight with respect to metabolism: fibers. Those indigestible sugars present in cereals, tubers, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Without fibers to ferment to extract their energy in the form of SCFA, bacteria begin to snack on the protective mucus which lines our intestinal cells, exposing them to bacterial invasion. Moreover, fibers enable better control of glycemia, probably through the presence of Prevotella in our intestines. Conclusion: for your microbiota, eat fat without excess–but good fat–and don’t forget your fibers!

infographic
Sources

5 Yang BG, Yeon Hur KY, Lee MS. Alterations in Gut Microbiota and Immunity by Dietary Fat. Yonsei Med J 2017 Nov;58(6):1083-1091.

6 Cândido FG, Valente FX, Grześkowiak ŁM, Moreira APB, Rocha DMUP, Alfenas RCG. Impact of dietary fat on gut microbiota and low-grade systemic inflammation: mechanisms and clinical implications on obesity. Int J FoodSci Nutr. 2018 Mar;69(2):125-143.

Old sources

 

 

Tags
Diet

en_view en_sources

    See also

    Cholesterol-metabolizing gut bacteria?
    Actu GP : Le microbiote intestinal influencerait-il notre glycémie ? Could the gut microbiota impact our blood sugar levels?
    Focus
    Diet and health: the role of the intestinal microbiota in metabolic diseases
    • A wide ranger of diseases
      • What are the links between intestinal microbiota and metabolic diseases?
      • Focus on diabetes
    • Diet: a key factor
      • Eating too much fat unbalances our intestinal flora
      • Diet and treatment: a history of microbial inequality
    • What are the therapeutic prospects?
      • Probiotics at the service of “fatty liver” syndrome
      • Fecal transplant: a promising route?
      • Expert interview : Pr Rémy Burcelin
    Created 26 September 2019
    Updated 30 December 2021

    About this article

    To know more about this topic.

    Main topic

    Diet

    Related microbiotas

    The gut microbiota

    Related topics

    Diet
    Focus on diabetes
    Diet and treatment: a history of microbial inequality
    Focus

    Diet and health: the role of the intestinal microbiota in metabolic diseases

    A wide ranger of diseases

    What are the links between intestinal microbiota and metabolic diseases? Focus on diabetes

    Diet: a key factor

    Eating too much fat unbalances our intestinal flora Diet and treatment: a history of microbial inequality

    What are the therapeutic prospects?

    Probiotics at the service of “fatty liver” syndrome Fecal transplant: a promising route? Expert interview : Pr Rémy Burcelin
    The power of your gut
    Periods and endometriosis: what is the role of the microbiota?
    24.01.2023

    Periods and endometriosis: what is the role of the microbiota?

    Read the article
    28.02.2023

    Why running could bring a smile to depressed teens... and their gut microbiota

    Read the article

    Asthma and the respiratory microbiota: a close relationship

    Asthma is considered a major public health issue. Since the end of the 20th century, there has been an incr...

    Find out more
    16.05.2022

    Gut microbiota: still many things to be discovered

    Read the article
    Patients stories - logo
    21.11.2022

    Patients stories: living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

    Read the article
    Pimenter son repas… et son microbiote intestinal ?
    24.02.2023

    Add spice to your meal... and to your gut microbiota?

    Read the article
    Actu GP : Le thé vert, c’est bon pour mon microbiote !
    28.01.2020

    Green tea is good for your microbiota!

    Read the article
    Un régime méditerranéen, bon pour le corps, bon pour le cœur
    16.06.2022

    The Mediterranean diet: good for the body, good for the heart

    Read the article
    My health, my microbiota
    Follow our Facebook page
    Our marvelous microbiota
    Get to understand our microbiota and the role they play in our body
    Find your dedicated section
    Healthcare professionals
    • Learn all about microbiota
      • The gut microbiota
      • The ENT microbiota
      • The pulmonary microbiota
      • The urinary microbiota
      • The skin microbiota
      • The vaginal microbiota
    • Microbiota and related conditions
      • Digestive disorders
      • Women disorders
      • Metabolic disorders
      • Skin disorders
      • Pediatric disorders
      • Psychiatric disorders
      • Neurological disorders
      • Respiratory disorders
      • Urinary disorders
    • Act on your microbiota
      • Probiotics
      • Prebiotics
      • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
      • Diet
    • Publications
      • Thematics folders
      • News
      • Press room
      About the Institute

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • YouTube

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section
    Biocodex logo
    The power of your gut
    My microbiota as a woman
    Our marvelous microbiota
    • English
    • Français
    • Español
    • Russian
    • Portuguese
    • Polish

    Browse the site

    • Learn all about microbiota
      • The gut microbiota
      • The ENT microbiota
      • The pulmonary microbiota
      • The urinary microbiota
      • The skin microbiota
      • The vaginal microbiota
    • Microbiota and related conditions
      • Digestive disorders
      • Women disorders
      • Metabolic disorders
      • Skin disorders
      • Pediatric disorders
      • Psychiatric disorders
      • Neurological disorders
      • Respiratory disorders
      • Urinary disorders
    • Act on your microbiota
      • Probiotics
      • Prebiotics
      • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
      • Diet
    • Publications
      • Thematics folders
      • News
      • Press room
      About the Institute

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • YouTube

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section
    Biocodex logo

    Discover

    The power of your gut
    My microbiota as a woman
    Our marvelous microbiota

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Redirection

    You are about to be redirected and leave our website

    • Be redirected
    • Stay on the Biocodex Microbiota Institute's website

    Stay with us !

    Join the microbiota community and receive "The Essentials" once a month to stay up to date with the latest news on the microbiota.

    * Mandatory Fields

    BMI 20-35

    Explore

    How to keep a healthy microbiota?
    02.03.2023

    How to keep a healthy microbiota?

    Read the article
    28.02.2023

    Why running could bring a smile to depressed teens... and their gut microbiota

    Read the article
    Pimenter son repas… et son microbiote intestinal ?
    24.02.2023

    Add spice to your meal... and to your gut microbiota?

    Read the article

    Stay updated

    Join the Microbiota Community and receive once a month “The Essential” to stay up to date on the latest news about microbiota.

    * Mandatory Fields

    BMI 20-35

    • Learn all about microbiota
      • The gut microbiota
      • The ENT microbiota
      • The pulmonary microbiota
      • The urinary microbiota
      • The skin microbiota
      • The vaginal microbiota
    • Microbiota and related conditions
      • Digestive disorders
      • Women disorders
      • Metabolic disorders
      • Skin disorders
      • Pediatric disorders
      • Psychiatric disorders
      • Neurological disorders
      • Respiratory disorders
      • Urinary disorders
    • Act on your microbiota
      • Probiotics
      • Prebiotics
      • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
      • Diet
    • Publications
      • Thematics folders
      • News
      • Press room
      About the Institute

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • YouTube

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section
    Biocodex logo

    Discover

    The power of your gut
    My microbiota as a woman
    Our marvelous microbiota

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    © 2022 Biocodex. All rights reserved.

    • Cookies Policy
    • Data protection policy
    • GTU
    • Sitemap
    • Cookies settings
    Biocodex logo