Dietary Fatty Acid Intake and the Colonic Gut Microbiota in Humans

A high-fat diet has been associated with systemic diseases in humans and alterations in gut microbiota in animal studies. However, the influence of dietary fatty acid intake on gut microbiota in humans has not been well studied. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the association between intake of total fatty acids (TFAs), saturated fatty acids (SFAs), trans fatty acids (TrFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), n3-FAs, and n6-FAs, and the community composition and structure of the adherent colonic gut microbiota. We obtained 97 colonic biopsies from 34 participants with endoscopically normal colons. Microbial DNA was used to sequence the 16S rRNA V4 region. The DADA2 and SILVA database were used for amplicon sequence variant assignment. Dietary data were collected using the Block food frequency questionnaire. The biodiversity and the relative abundance of the bacterial taxa by higher vs. lower fat intake were compared using the Mann–Whitney test followed by multivariable negative binomial regression model. False discovery rate–adjusted p-values (q value) < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. The beta diversity of gut bacteria differed significantly by intake of all types of fatty acids. The relative abundance of Sutterella was significantly higher with higher intake of TFAs, MUFAs, PUFAs, and n6-FAs. The relative abundance of Tyzzerella and Fusobacterium was significantly higher with higher intake of SFAs. Tyzzerella was also higher with higher intake of TrFA. These observations were confirmed by multivariate analyses. Dietary fat intake was associated with bacterial composition and structure. Sutterella, Fusobacterium, and Tyzzerella were associated with fatty acid intake.