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42103 
Journal Article 
Molecular and genetic effects of dietary derived butyric acid 
Smith, JG; German, JB 
1995 
1 
Food Technology
ISSN: 0015-6639
EISSN: 2578-5214 
49 
11 
87-90 
#The role of fat in the diet has been the focus of considerable media scrutiny and for the most part has gained bad press. The implications of dietary fat and saturated fat in elevating the risk of coronary discase and cancer has placed an image of fat in the consumer's mind that is anything but positive. However, as research has begun to unravel the complexity of natural fatty substances and the diverse roles of different fatty acids in biology, some of the fat components are emerging as beneficial. We describe here one fatty acid, butyric acid (BuA), whose activity may at least partly explain the perplexing advantage of a high fiber diet in the prevention of intestinal cancers, and even the inhibitory effect of butter on mammary carcinogenesis.