Gut Flora and Lipid Metabolism

It is well known that metabolic responses to diet and drugs are affected by genetic and environmental factors. Still, a large part of differences in responses between individuals remains unexplained. To increase our understanding of individual differences, more and more attention is paid to the role of intestinal microbiota. Not only energy and glucose may be related to the microbiota, but also lipid metabolism. This is not surprising as lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, and obesity are closely linked. There is substantial evidence from in particular animal studies that the gut microbiota is related to lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. However, there is less evidence to what extent modulation of the gut microbiota changes lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in humans.