ABSTRACT
Dietary fat strongly affects human health by modulating gut microbiota composition and low-grade systemic inflammation. High-fat diets have been implicated in reduced gut microbiota richness, increased Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio, and several changes at family, genus and species levels. Saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), polyunsaturated (PUFA) and conjugated linolenic fatty acids share important pathways of immune system activation/inhibition with gut microbes, modulating obesogenic and proinflammatory profiles. Mechanisms that link dietary fat, gut microbiota and obesity are mediated by increased intestinal permeability, systemic endotoxemia, and the activity of the endocannabinoid system. Although the probiotic therapy could be a complementary strategy to improve gut microbiota composition, it did not show permanent effects to treat fat-induced dysbiosis. Based upon evidence to date, we believe that high-fat diets and SFA consumption should be avoided, and MUFA and omega-3 PUFA intake should be encouraged in order to regulate gut microbiota and inflammation, promoting body weight/fat control.
Subject(s)
Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects , Dysbiosis/etiology , Endotoxemia/etiology , Enteritis/etiology , Evidence-Based Medicine , Intestines/immunology , Obesity/etiology , Animals , Dysbiosis/diet therapy , Dysbiosis/microbiology , Dysbiosis/physiopathology , Endotoxemia/immunology , Endotoxemia/microbiology , Endotoxemia/prevention & control , Enteritis/immunology , Enteritis/microbiology , Enteritis/prevention & control , Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Humans , Intestines/microbiology , Intestines/physiopathology , Obesity/immunology , Obesity/microbiology , Obesity/physiopathology , Permeability , Probiotics/therapeutic use , Synbiotics/administration & dosage , Weight GainABSTRACT
Celiac disease (CD) is a common chronic autoimmune enteropathy caused by gluten intake. To date, the only therapy for CD is the complete exclusion of dietary sources of grains and any food containing gluten. It has been hypothesized that the intestinal microbiota is somehow involved in CD. For this reason, probiotics are appearing as an interesting adjuvant in the dietetic management of CD. This review aims to discuss the characteristics of the microbiota in CD subjects and the use of probiotics as a novel therapy for CD. Comparisons between children with CD and controls show that their microbiota profiles differ; the former have fewer lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. Specific probiotics have been found to digest or alter gluten polypeptides. It has also been demonstrated that some bacterial species belonging to the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium exert protective properties on epithelial cells from damage caused by gliadin.