Experimental Capacity of Human Fecal Microbiota to Degrade Fiber and Produce Short-Chain Fatty Acids Is Associated with Diet Quality and Anthropometric Parameters.

Background: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are considered beneficial to human health. The associations between bacterial capacity to produce SCFAs, diet, and health are not fully understood.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the capacity of human fecal microbiota to produce SCFAs and to metabolize soluble and insoluble fiber and to study its associations with human diet, anthropometric parameters, and carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.