Impact of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on the Gut Microbiota
By Lara Costantini, R. Molinari, Barbara Farinon, N. Merendino. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2017
619 citations recorded by the source corpus.
Long-term dietary habits play a crucial role in creating a host-specific gut microbiota community in humans. Despite the many publications about the effects of carbohydrates (prebiotic fibers), the impact of dietary fats, such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), on the gut microbiota is less well defined. The few studies completed in adults showed some common changes in the gut microbiota after omega-3 PUFA supplementation. In particular, a decrease in Faecalibacterium, often associated with an increase in the Bacteroidetes and butyrate-producing bacteria belonging to the Lachnospiraceae family, has been observed. Coincidentally, a dysbiosis of these taxa is found in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Omega-3 PUFAs can exert a positive action by reverting the microbiota composition in these diseases, and increase the production of anti-inflammatory compounds, like short-chain fatty acids. In addition, accumulating evidence in animal model studies indicates that the interplay between gut microbiota, omega-3 fatty acids, and immunity helps to maintain the intestinal wall integrity and interacts with host immune cells. Finally, human and animal studies have highlighted the ability of omega-3 PUFAs to influence the gut–brain axis, acting through gut microbiota composition. From these findings, the importance of the omega-3 connection to the microbiota emerges, encouraging further studies.
Subfields: Molecular Biology, Physiology, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/46d3a26b3a85239c971c7adf1a42f9a6560e556a
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Citations in the corpus
- The role of short-chain fatty acids in the interplay between gut microbiota and diet in cardio-metabolic health (2021, background): “consumption of fiber-rich food, or omega-3-rich diets, has been correlated with higher levels of SCFAs and SCFA-producing bacteria.(18,19) Previous reviews addressed SCFAs, CMD or, diet and their links to gut microbiome composition, however none of them has yet simultaneously covered the role of SCF”
- Gut Microbiome: Profound Implications for Diet and Disease (2019, background): “Human studies show that dietary supplementation with EPA and DHA increases the intestinal abundance of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, while decreasing Faecalibacterium [217, 218].”