Since most of the dietary fat is composed of triglycerides, excess fecal triglyceride levels indicate incomplete fat hydrolysis (maldigestion). This is possibly due to inadequate pancreatic secretion or activation of pancreatic lipase, which can cause excessive, unhydrolyzed triglycerides to be excreted in the feces.
When dietary fat dispersion and digestion proceeds normally, but fat malabsorption is present, fecal triglycerides become elevated.
Such a finding has broad health implications due to the impaired delivery of essential fatty acids and all fat-soluble vitamins to sustain organ functions, including the epithelial lining of the gut and multiple layers of immune protection. On the other hand, if fecal triglycerides are normal but the feces contains excess long-chain free fatty acids, malabsorption in indicated. This is because long-chain free fatty acids are readily absorbed in the presence of a fully functioning intestinal mucosa.
Total Fecal Triglycerides
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