Effects Of Dietary Fats on Gut Microbiota Composition and Metabolic Activity in Healthy Adults

Summary

This study will investigate how adding a specific type of dietary fat to daily meals for two weeks affects the gut bacteria and their activity. Participants will be randomly assigned to consume one of four types of fat: butter, coconut oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil (60 mL each day for 2 weeks). Stool and blood samples (after an overnight fast) will be collected at 3 time points during the study (Days 1, 7, and 22). These samples will be used to measure metabolites produced by gut bacteria, the types of bacteria present in the gut, blood lipids, and inflammatory markers. The study, based on previous in vitro findings, aims to understand whether different types of fats (based on their structure and level of saturation) have different effects on gut bacteria and their activity in healthy subjects.

Conditions

• Short Chain Fatty Acids Concentration in Stools
• Gut Microbiota Diversity and Composition
• Blood Lipid Profiles
• Inflammation Biomarkers

Interventions

OTHER

Butter

Participants will consume approximately 65 g/day of butter as their primary dietary fat for 14 days, replacing most habitual dietary fat intake.

OTHER

Coconut oil

Participants will consume approximately 55 g/day of coconut oil as their primary dietary fat for 14 days, replacing most habitual dietary fat intake.

OTHER

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Participants will consume 60 mL/day of olive oil as their primary dietary fat for 14 days, replacing most habitual dietary fat intake.

OTHER

Sunflower Oil

Participants will consume 60 mL/day of sunflower oil as their primary dietary fat for 14 days, replacing most habitual dietary fat intake.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Dr Dalia Malkova

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Professor Konstantinos Gerasimidis

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• University of Glasgow

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Athanasios Koutsos · University of Glasgow

• Dalia Malkova, PhD · University of Glasgow

• Konstantinos Gerasimidis, PhD · University of Glasgow

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

20 Years

Max Age

50 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-03-23

Primary Completion

2027-03-31

Completion

2028-03-31

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations