This is the first comprehensive volume to look at the importance of short-chain fatty acids in digestion, the function of the large intestine and their role in human health. Short-chain fatty acids are the major product of bacterial fermentation of dietary carbohydrates in the human and animal large intestine. Through their absorption from the caecum and colon they provide a means whereby energy can be salvaged from carbohydrates not digested in the upper gut. It is now increasingly recognized that they may have a significant role in protecting against large-bowel diseases and in metabolism...