Faecal lipid excretion levels in normal Japanese females on an unrestricted diet and a fat-restricted diet measured by simultaneous analysis of faecal lipids.

Faecal lipid excretion was determined in 16 females on an unrestricted diet and on a fat-restricted diet using a chromatographic method for the simultaneous analysis of faecal lipids. The fat-restricted diet reduced the total quantity of faeces and the amounts of fatty acids, neutral sterols and bile acids excreted were almost halved compared with when on an unrestricted diet. This indicates that dietary fat, fibre and cholesterol affect the amount of faecal bile acid, neutral sterol and fatty acid excretion. The amount of cholesterol/animal sterols excreted and the percentage of primary bile acids were, however, similar for both the fat-restricted and unrestricted diets.