date:Sep 14, 2012
very real effect on their ability to absorb fat and thereby harvest more calories from the diet, said the researchers.
This study is the first to demonstrate that microbes can promote the absorption of dietary fats in the intestine and their subsequent metabolism in the body, said Rawls. The results underscore the complex relationship between microbes, diet and host physiology.
Our findings indicate that the gut microbiota can increase the host's ability to harvest calories from the diet by s