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Short Chain Fatty Acids

Production and Effects on Gut Motility

  • Chapter
Dietary Fiber in Health and Disease

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 427))

Abstract

Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are produced in the human colon by bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates and amino acids. The physiological importance of these molecules is increasingly recognised. They have been shown to influence cellular turnover not only in the colon, where they are formed, but also at distant sites in the small intestine (Sakata 1989). They provide energy for the colonic enterocyte (Roediger 1980) and peripheral tissues such as muscle (Rémésey et at 1992). SCFA may also influence hepatic metabolism of carbohydrate (Anderson and Bridges 1986) and lipids (Chen et al 1984) and have been used to reduce symptoms of colitis (Breuer 1991).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Nutrition, Glasgow University Yorkhill Hospitals, Glasgow, G3 8SJ, UK

    Christine A. Edwards

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  1. Christine A. Edwards
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    David Kritchevsky

  2. Clinical Review Associates, McLean, Virginia, USA

    Charles Bonfield

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Edwards, C.A. (1997). Short Chain Fatty Acids. In: Kritchevsky, D., Bonfield, C. (eds) Dietary Fiber in Health and Disease. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 427. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5967-2_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5967-2_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7735-1

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