Mixed
Dietary intake of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) from sources like virgin coconut oil can increase the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and reduce obesity and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in animal models, although high-concentration coconut oil diets may have the opposite effect.
Focus on the quality of fats rather than just avoiding fat. Moderate intake of medium-chain fatty acids (found in coconut oil) may support a healthy gut microbiome and reduce inflammation in animal studies, but very high intake of coconut oil might have negative effects. Balance is key.
Several studies on MCFAs reported that the increase of Bacteroidetes and the decrease of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria in mice gut consequently lowered the inflammation and obesity effects [46]. However, diets rich in coconut oil ≥25% administrated to healthy female animal models for 8 or 10 weeks showed obesity and its related dysfunction effects and increase of Allobaculum, Clostridium, Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, and the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio in their guts [48,49,52,60].
Why this rating
Based on animal models (mice/rats) summarized in a review; human data is limited or absent for specific MCFA interventions in this text.
Source
Fatty Acid Diets: Regulation of Gut Microbiota Composition and Obesity and Its Related Metabolic Dysbiosis
David Johane Machate et al. · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2020
DOI 10.3390/ijms21114093
More from this paper
- Dietary intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), particularly from extra virgin olive oil, increases the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and reduces obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammatory bowel disease in animal and human models.Good
- Dietary intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as EPA and DHA from fish oil, increases the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and reduces obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammatory bowel disease, whereas n-6 PUFAs (like linoleic acid) may have the opposite effect.Good
- High intake of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), particularly from saturated sources like palm oil and lard, increases the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio, leading to obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammatory bowel disease in animal models.Moderate
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