Cardiometabolic disease such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis, are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. Two important risk factors for the development of... Show moreCardiometabolic disease such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis, are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. Two important risk factors for the development of cardiometabolic disease are hyperlipidemia and inflammation. Recently, evidence strongly indicates a role for the gut microbiota in the development of cardiometabolic disease. Therapeutic approaches are therefore aimed at modifying the gut microbiota composition and function to beneficially affect the development of cardiometabolic disease and its underlying risk factors. A potential candidate to modify gut microbiota composition are indigestible carbohydrates, or prebiotics. In this thesis, we aimed to understand the interplay between various indigestible carbohydrates, gut microbiota composition and function, and the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Together, the studies described in this thesis increased our knowledge on the potential of various indigestible carbohydrates in the modulation of the gut microbiota to affect the development of cardiometabolic disease, suggesting a promising strategy to further pursue with some caution. Show less
