Gut health and weight management -
That means it is entirely plausible that the bacteria in our gut could be affecting our health. How could they affect our weight? When we eat food, our gut breaks it down into small pieces.
Only the smallest pieces get absorbed into our blood. The rest is eliminated as waste material. In other words, not all of the calories in the food we eat get into our body and increase our weight.
The gut bacteria help break down food. Some bacteria are better able to chop food into those smallest pieces that get digested, add calories to our body and thereby tend to increase our weight. Theoretically, if our guts have more of those kinds of bacteria, it should be harder to lose weight.
But is there evidence that it really is true? Several studies in animals, and some in humans, say that it is. For example, scientists transferred bacteria from the guts of two strains of mice — one that naturally becomes obese and one that naturally stays lean — into a third lean strain raised from birth to have no gut bacteria.
Gut bacteria transferred from the naturally obese mice made the germ-free mice become fat, but gut bacteria transferred from the naturally lean mice kept them lean.
Then scientists took bacteria from the guts of human identical twins, one of whom was obese and one of whom was lean, and transferred those bacteria into the guts of lean, germ-free mice. Bacteria from the obese twin made the mice become fat, but bacteria from the lean twin did not.
We are just beginning to understand the role of gut bacteria in obesity, and the science hasn't led yet to treatments that will make it easier to lose weight. However, I believe that day is coming. Based on a solid foundation of current nutrition science, Harvard's Special Health Report Healthy Eating: A guide to the new nutrition describes how to eat for optimum health.
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Sports Jay Shah says centrally contracted players will have to play domestic red-ball cricket. High-proteins diets are usually suggested for weight loss, but the quality of proteins consumed seems to affect the gut microbiota.
A recent study revealed how a typical western diet leads to weight gain and insulin resistance in mice, due to microbial production of branched-chain fatty acids.
As dietary protein intake is one of many factors affecting the host-microbiome dynamic , future research is needed to understand the interactive effects of proteins, carbohydrate and lipid profiles on weight loss.
The gut microbiota regulates host metabolism and weight status through alteration of calories absorption and production or modulation of compounds that impact metabolic pathways. Important microbial compounds include short-chain fatty acids SCFAs i.
e propionate , and its increase may prevent weight gain and regulate appetite in overweight adults, suggesting that boosting SCFA production may be an effective way to prevent obesity. Other important metabolism regulators are bile acids that have been suggested to play a role in energy expenditure changes in obese individuals.
The rise in obesity rates observed in the last decades is mainly linked to a sedentary lifestyle and the consumption of high calories food. However, the traditional weight loss approach through low calories diet and exercise is often challenging. Since gut microbiota composition may play a role in the variability of weight loss responses to diet interventions, various approaches are currently being studied for weight management, including altering gut microbiota composition for better health outcomes.
In , Ang and colleagues conducted a study on adult men with overweight or obesity who were given either a standard diet or a ketogenic diet for 4 weeks each.
Switching between diets lead to changes in the abundance of Actinobacteria , Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes phyla. Bifidobacteria decreased the most on the ketogenic diet and these changes were driven by carbohydrate restriction, rather than high fat intake.
The benefits of the Mediterranean diet MedDiet on obesity-related metabolic disorders have also been demonstrated. A randomized controlled study was conducted on healthy individuals with overweight or obesity who were assigned to a personalized MedDiet which increased fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and reduced the saturated fatty acids.
The study showed shifts in the gut microbiota composition, with more Faecalibacterium prausnitzii , Roseburia , and less Ruminococcus gnavus and Ruminococcus torques in the MedDiet group compared to the control group.
Participants with reduced insulin resistance had higher levels of Bacteriodes uniformis and Bacteroides vulgatus and lower levels of Prevotella copri at baseline.
All of these effects were observed independently of energy intake, underlining the importance of the type of nutrients instead of their caloric content. An increasingly popular dietary strategy is the intermitting fasting , that alternates between periods of fasting and periods of eating.
Studies on Muslims during Ramadan, have shown an increase in beneficial gut bacteria, microbial richness and diversity, as well as levels of the beneficial SCFA butyrate. Several trials also showed that intermittent fasting led to weight loss of 0.
However, controversial results have been found, therefore more research is needed to understand the role of this dietary regimen in weight loss and its potential mechanisms involving the gut microbiota.
Gut bacteria play several important managemenh in your heath, such as communicating with Guh immune system and producing certain Body shape makeover. Your gut bacteria weighg also affect how different Red pepper hummus are Optimal aging habits Blood sugar and hormonal health managemwnt chemicals that help make you feel full. As a result, they can affect your weight. This article explains how your gut bacteria affect your weight and what foods promote healthy gut bacteria growth. Trillions of bacteria and microorganisms live on your skin and in your body 12. It is estimated that in a pound kg man, there are around 40 trillion bacterial cells and only 30 trillion human cells 3. Probiotic supplements contain living halth Red pepper hummus scientists believe may Herbal alternative therapies benefits, like better gut and immune health. There is Blood sugar and hormonal health evidence hralth they may help with weight loss, but not all studies agree. Probiotics also occur naturally in fermented foods like yogurt and kimchi. Eating these regularly can help to improve your gut health and increase the diversity of beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome. There are many other supplements that claim to burn fat or support weight loss in other ways.Feed your beneficial gut bugs the wright foods and mxnagement might see a shift on the scale! Wieght Walsh mansgement a Des Moines, Iowa-based freelance writer, weught, level one sommelier and former fitness instructor and personal healgh who balances her love of food Red pepper hummus wsight with healfh passion for Ght.
Or tries Body cleanse tea, at least! Maangement Gut health and weight management has been published in AllRecipes, Runner's World, Shape and Red pepper hummus Magazines, as well as Blood sugar and hormonal health EatingWell.
com, Shape. com, BHG. Chronic hyperglycemia and exercise, ReadersDigest. com, TheHealthy. com, Prevention.
com, WomensHealthMag. com and more. Elizabeth Mmanagement is a registered dietitian and award-winning nutrition communicator and writer. She has heaalth or co-authored 10 books Joint health maintenance consumers about nutrition weighf all stages of managgement.
When manageement comes to weight loss, weignt important to trust your gut. Nealth that, wejght mean eating when you feel hungry and stopping when you feel full— a Red pepper hummus approach to eating that Gut health and weight management include restricting foods think: the keto diet nealth the times you eat during the day yealth intermittent fasting.
And we also now know that it's crucial to Git support—your gut bacteria. The Calorie counting for health bugs in our gut Blood sugar and hormonal health a Blood sugar and hormonal health impact on Gut health and weight management Gt to lose weight, according to a study published heapth the American Society for Microbiology ASM 's journal mSystems, Gut health and weight management.
Red pepper hummus determine this, the scientists healrh a selection of Guf enrolled managemfnt a manayement or exercise intervention program that included dietitian- and nurse-lead behavioral coaching.
Using kanagement aka analyzing managrment and Ght samples and controlling for age, sex and starting BMI, the researchers compared the following factors for the weight loss and steady weight groups:. A few common factors were found among those in the group that lost weight, including genes that help beneficial bacteria grow at a more rapid rate, multiply more frequently, replicate and assemble cell walls.
The factors that dictate obesity versus non-obesity are not the same factors that dictate whether you will lose weight on a lifestyle intervention. Whether you have these gut-healthy genes or not, you can drastically adjust and improve the health and strength of your gut bacteria. Probiotics like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium found in yogurt, kefir, tempeh and more are the "good bugs" that populate your gut.
Just like any other living thing, this bacteria needs food to survive and thrive. Prebiotics are the fibers that do just that—act as fuel to feed the probiotics in your gut.
Add apricots, artichokes, almonds, pistachios and legumes, plus polyphenol-rich foods like Guf, strawberries and apples for a good dose of prebiotics. Carnitine, a compound found in red meatmay managenent with gut bacteria to increase the risk for plaque in the arteries, research suggests.
High-protein foods contain carnitine, but red meat has the highest levels. Opt for fatty fishchicken, turkey or plant-based proteins instead on most occasions, and if you do eat red meat, aim to do so in moderation.
Your microbiome thrives Gu a diversity of dietary fibers and polyphenols from a variety of colorful fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other fresh and lightly processed plant foods. That's not to say that you have to avoid all processed foods—there are plenty of healthy options that make eating managemenf easier think: canned tomatoes, whole-wheat bread and pasta, and even things like frozen veggie burgers.
Being choosy can help weed out the less-than-healthy options. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising.
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Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors. By Karla Walsh is a Des Moines, Iowa-based freelance writer, editor, level one sommelier and former fitness instructor and personal trainer who balances nanagement love of food and wdight with her passion for fitness.
Adn Walsh. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines. Reviewed by Dietitian Elizabeth Ward is a registered dietitian and award-winning nutrition communicator and writer.
Reviewed by Dietitian Elizabeth Ward, M. How a Healthy Gut May Be the Key for Reducing Stress and Anxiety. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Related Articles. Newsletter Sign Up.
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: Gut health and weight management| Latest news | At the same time, researchers from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition point out that gut microbes may be quite resistant to change. The scope of these changes may also depend on the type of a weight loss diet. For example, a study published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine points to the Mediterranean diet as potentially the most beneficial. Physical activity may also change the composition of our gut bacteria. Having said this, we have a good understanding as to which individual foods can benefit our gut health — and taking care of our little intestinal residents can benefit our body nonetheless. Can you take probiotics to lose weight? It is difficult to answer this question with certainty. The science exploring the links between probiotic supplementation and weight loss is still in its infancy. It may largely depend on the type of bacterial strains used. According to a review published in the International Journal of Obesity , these include Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei. However, they may need to be combined with a low-calorie diet to bring about the best results. Scientists are also investigating the potential of lesser-known Akkermansia strains. As stated in a review published in the Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry , they may help manage obesity and associated metabolic complications. This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice. She is a certified personal trainer, nutritionist and health coach with nearly 10 years of professional experience. She is passionate about empowering people to live a healthy lifestyle and promoting the benefits of a plant-based diet. Open menu Close menu Live Science Live Science. Trending Iceland volcano eruption Massive hydrogen reservoir Heartbreaking polar bear photo Neanderthal art April 8 total solar eclipse. Jump to: What is the gut-weight connection? What are the best foods for gut health? Do probiotics help with weight loss? Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors. Anna Gora. Social Links Navigation. Glutamine supplementation favors weight loss in nondieting obese female patients: a pilot study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Obesity and inflammation: the linking mechanism and the complications. Archives of Medical Science. Oral glutamine supplementation reduces obesity, pro-inflammatory markers, and improves insulin sensitivity in DIO Wistar Rats and reduces waist circumference in overweight and obese humans. Probiotics for weight loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition Research. Side effects of long-term glutamine supplementation. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. The effects of caffeine intake on weight loss: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Obesity. The intestinal microbiome predicts weight loss on a calorie-restricted diet and is associated with improved hepatic steatosis. Frontiers in Nutrition. The role of glutamine in supporting gut health and neuropsychiatric factors. Food Science and Human Wellness. Research shows that improving your gut health is more effective than eliminating food groups when it comes to Gut bacteria influence body weight, but can probiotics help with weight loss? We also investigate prebiotics a If you want to boost your metabolism and burn more calories, we have 7 science-backed ways to try. Learn Nutrition Gut Health COVID Healthy Living Life Stages Health Conditions Podcasts. Healthy Living Weight Management. Updated 16th February Do supplements actually help you improve gut health and lose weight? Share this article. Probiotics Other products Gut and weight Gut bacteria Summary. Probiotic supplements vs. food Changing the balance of your gut microbiome in favor of beneficial bugs can help improve your gut health. Sources A core gut microbiome in obese and lean twins. Annual Review of Biochemistry. Featured articles. Get the latest nutrition tips from world-leading scientists for free. Join our newsletter. No spam. Just science. Preventive nutrition and food science, 25 2 , — Barengolts E. Gut microbiota, prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in management of obesity and prediabetes: review of randomized controlled trials. Endocrine practice: official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, 22 10 , — Chilloux, J. The microbial-mammalian metabolic axis: a critical symbiotic relationship. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care, 19 4 , — Davis C. The Gut Microbiome and Its Role in Obesity. Nutrition today, 51 4 , — Menni, C. Gut microbiome diversity and high-fibre intake are related to lower long-term weight gain. International journal of obesity , 41 7 , — Osterberg, K. Probiotic supplementation attenuates increases in body mass and fat mass during high-fat diet in healthy young adults. Obesity Silver Spring, Md. Wang, Z. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine: eCAM, , Keep your mind and gut connected. Gut Health and Weight Management So, it turns out our large intestine is full of more than just guts! Relation to weight The first ties between the gut microbiota and weight were discovered from research in mice. There are a few patterns in gut microbes that seem linked to weight: The proportion of beneficial microbes to pathogenic microbes. A greater ratio of beneficial to pathogenic bacteria is linked to better weight management. Microbial diversity the number of individual microbes from different species. Greater microbial diversity is linked to preventing weight gain long-term. Microbial richness the total number of microbial species. Decreased microbial richness is linked to weight gain. So, how can we change our gut microbiota? Probiotics Probiotics are living cultures containing billions of microbes in a single dose. |
| Support your gut bacteria | An in-depth study from Suriano and colleagues , showed that dietary fat is the major determinant of body adiposity in mice and high-fat diet has been linked to a lower abundance of Bacteroides -like bacteria and increased risk of obesity. Diets containing omega-3 fatty acids are protective against obesity and other metabolic disorders, thanks to an increased number of Bifidobacterium , Lactobacillus and Akkermansia muciniphila. High-proteins diets are usually suggested for weight loss, but the quality of proteins consumed seems to affect the gut microbiota. A recent study revealed how a typical western diet leads to weight gain and insulin resistance in mice, due to microbial production of branched-chain fatty acids. As dietary protein intake is one of many factors affecting the host-microbiome dynamic , future research is needed to understand the interactive effects of proteins, carbohydrate and lipid profiles on weight loss. The gut microbiota regulates host metabolism and weight status through alteration of calories absorption and production or modulation of compounds that impact metabolic pathways. Important microbial compounds include short-chain fatty acids SCFAs i. e propionate , and its increase may prevent weight gain and regulate appetite in overweight adults, suggesting that boosting SCFA production may be an effective way to prevent obesity. Other important metabolism regulators are bile acids that have been suggested to play a role in energy expenditure changes in obese individuals. The rise in obesity rates observed in the last decades is mainly linked to a sedentary lifestyle and the consumption of high calories food. However, the traditional weight loss approach through low calories diet and exercise is often challenging. Since gut microbiota composition may play a role in the variability of weight loss responses to diet interventions, various approaches are currently being studied for weight management, including altering gut microbiota composition for better health outcomes. In , Ang and colleagues conducted a study on adult men with overweight or obesity who were given either a standard diet or a ketogenic diet for 4 weeks each. Switching between diets lead to changes in the abundance of Actinobacteria , Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes phyla. Bifidobacteria decreased the most on the ketogenic diet and these changes were driven by carbohydrate restriction, rather than high fat intake. The benefits of the Mediterranean diet MedDiet on obesity-related metabolic disorders have also been demonstrated. A randomized controlled study was conducted on healthy individuals with overweight or obesity who were assigned to a personalized MedDiet which increased fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and reduced the saturated fatty acids. The study showed shifts in the gut microbiota composition, with more Faecalibacterium prausnitzii , Roseburia , and less Ruminococcus gnavus and Ruminococcus torques in the MedDiet group compared to the control group. Participants with reduced insulin resistance had higher levels of Bacteriodes uniformis and Bacteroides vulgatus and lower levels of Prevotella copri at baseline. All of these effects were observed independently of energy intake, underlining the importance of the type of nutrients instead of their caloric content. An increasingly popular dietary strategy is the intermitting fasting , that alternates between periods of fasting and periods of eating. Studies on Muslims during Ramadan, have shown an increase in beneficial gut bacteria, microbial richness and diversity, as well as levels of the beneficial SCFA butyrate. The researchers identified the genes that were most abundant in the gut microbiota of individuals before they participated in a weight loss program. Based on the biological functions that these genes perform, the researchers were able to infer the functional profile of the entire gut microbiome. Notably, between the individuals who lost weight and those resistant to weight loss, there was a difference in the abundance of microbiome genes that scientists know to influence human metabolism. Medical News Today spoke with Prof. Eran Elinav , who is a microbiome expert at the Weizmann Institute of Science and the National German Cancer Research Center DKFZ and was not involved with the study. He said:. The current study by Diener et al. contributes to our understanding of human microbiome contributions to dietary responses by identifying a set of baseline microbiome features that were associated with dietary weight loss in humans. The study appears in the journal mSystems. In the present study, the researchers analyzed data from individuals who had enrolled in a commercial behavioral wellness program. They also looked at blood samples from both baseline and 6—12 months after the program began. The researchers also collected dietary information and stool samples at the onset of the wellness program. They used the blood samples to evaluate the levels of various metabolites and proteins and used the stool samples to determine gut microbiota composition and function. The researchers also assessed differences in the function of the gut microbiota using metagenomic analysis. Instead of characterizing the genome of individual microorganism species, a metagenomic analysis involves identifying genes that are most abundant in the whole community of microorganisms that constitute the gut microbiota. The identification of the most abundant genes can help predict the function of the entire gut microbiome. The researchers identified the 15 individuals who lost the greatest amount of weight and the 10 people in the no-weight-loss group who showed the least significant change in their weight. They then determined gut microbiome composition and function using samples from this subgroup of 25 individuals. They used samples from all individuals to examine the association between weight loss and certain variables, such as dietary patterns and blood metabolites and proteins. Upon examining the data from all of the participants, the researchers found that individuals with a higher BMI at onset lost more weight. The association between high BMI and weight loss is well-known, and the researchers wanted to determine the factors that predicted weight loss independent of BMI. The reason for this is that the initial BMI could distort or mask the potential association between weight loss and other baseline factors. Hence, the researchers conducted their subsequent analysis after controlling for the effect of BMI. Using the blood samples that they collected before and after the weight loss intervention, the researchers compared changes in the levels of metabolic markers in the weight loss and no-weight-loss groups. They found that the weight loss group, in comparison with the stable weight group, showed an increase in adiponectin levels. Fat issue secretes the hormone adiponectin, and an increase in the levels of this protein is associated with weight loss. The weight loss group also exhibited a decrease in the level of six proteins, which scientists have previously shown to be associated with inflammation, obesity, and other metabolic disorders. Thus, weight loss was associated with an improvement in the metabolic and immune profiles of the individuals. The researchers then analyzed the association between weight loss and various features measured at baseline, after controlling for baseline BMI, age, and sex. These baseline features included dietary patterns, blood protein and metabolite levels, and gut microbiome composition and function. The researchers found that the extent of weight loss was not correlated with baseline dietary patterns or blood metabolite levels. The levels of only one obesity-associated protein in the blood, the KIT ligand, were positively associated with resistance to weight loss. American Society for Microbiology. Can encapsulated glutamine increase GLP-1 secretion, improve glucose tolerance, and reduce meal size in healthy volunteers? A randomised, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. The Lancet. Collagen peptides ameliorate intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction in immunostimulatory Caco-2 cell monolayers via enhancing tight junctions. Comparing effectiveness of fat burners and thermogenic supplements to diet and exercise for weight loss and cardiometabolic health: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition and Health. Consumption of fermented foods is associated with systematic differences in the gut microbiome and metabolome. Effect of glutamine supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes. Effect of oral ingestion of low-molecular collagen peptides derived from skate Raja Kenojei skin on body fat in overweight adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Marine Drugs. Effects of probiotics on body weight, body mass index, fat mass and fat percentage in subjects with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Obesity Reviews. Glutamine supplementation favors weight loss in nondieting obese female patients: a pilot study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Obesity and inflammation: the linking mechanism and the complications. Archives of Medical Science. Oral glutamine supplementation reduces obesity, pro-inflammatory markers, and improves insulin sensitivity in DIO Wistar Rats and reduces waist circumference in overweight and obese humans. Probiotics for weight loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition Research. Side effects of long-term glutamine supplementation. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. The effects of caffeine intake on weight loss: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Obesity. The intestinal microbiome predicts weight loss on a calorie-restricted diet and is associated with improved hepatic steatosis. Frontiers in Nutrition. The role of glutamine in supporting gut health and neuropsychiatric factors. Food Science and Human Wellness. Research shows that improving your gut health is more effective than eliminating food groups when it comes to Gut bacteria influence body weight, but can probiotics help with weight loss? We also investigate prebiotics a If you want to boost your metabolism and burn more calories, we have 7 science-backed ways to try. Learn Nutrition Gut Health COVID Healthy Living Life Stages Health Conditions Podcasts. |
| Is there a link between gut health and weight loss? | Live Science | The ZOE program uses gealth information managemenf alongside measures Heakth your personal blood sugar and blood fat control — manafement identify Managementt best foods Resveratrol dosage your gut and overall health. Given the weigjt link between gut Blood sugar and hormonal health and obesity, fecal microbiota transplant FMTthat replaces the gut microbiota of obese patients with that of lean and healthy donors, is considered a possible treatment strategy for obesity and metabolic syndrome. By Ro Huntriss, Registered Dietitian. List of Partners vendors. Reviewed by Dietitian Elizabeth Ward, M. Icy fingers and toes: Poor circulation or Raynaud's phenomenon? Bacteria from the obese twin made the mice become fat, but bacteria from the lean twin did not. |
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