The role of dietary fatty acids in the pathology of metabolic syndrome

Dysfunctional lipid metabolism is a key component in the development of metabolic syndrome, a very frequent condition characterized by dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, abdominal obesity and hypertension, which are related to an elevated risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is strongly associated with the severity of obesity; its physiopathology is related to both genetics and food intake habits, especially the consumption of a high-caloric, high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet. With the progress of scientific knowledge in the field of nutrigenomics, it was possible to elucidate how the majority of dietary fatty acids influence plasma lipid metabolism and also the genes expression involved in lipolysis and lipogenesis within hepatocytes and adipocytes. The aim of this review is to examine the relevant mechanistic aspects of dietary fatty acids related to blood lipids, adipose tissue metabolism, hepatic fat storage and inflammatory process, all of them closely related to the genesis of metabolic syndrome.