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The billions of microbes inside our gut play many very important roles in our body. Not only does this microbiome regulate our metabolism and help us absorb nutrients from food in the body, it can also influence whether we are lean or obese.
Recent research even suggests that our gut microbiome may influence our ability to lose weight. Researchers at the University of Washington in the United States have found that the presence of specific “good” microbes in the gut of people dieting to lose weight affects the number of pounds they can lose.
To understand the effect of a person’s gut microbes on weight loss, the researchers looked at 105 overweight people, all of whom were on a one-year weight loss program. To track their weight loss, the researchers recorded the participants’ starting body mass index (BMI).
Scientists also recorded the levels of certain blood markers of metabolism – such as cholesterol levels – to understand how easily each participant could burn fat. And stool samples were collected at the start and end of the study to determine which microbes were present in each participant’s gut – and at what levels.
The researchers then compared people who lost weight (at least 1% of their body weight on average each month) with those whose weight had stayed the same. They found that various blood markers related to metabolism differed very little between those who lost weight and those who did not.
But the types of gut microbes in the two groups were really different. In people who lost more weight, they had more beneficial bacterial enzymes in the gut. These enzymes have helped break down complex carbohydrates (like those found in whole grains) into simple sugars, making them easier to digest and potentially less likely to store them as fat.
The authors also found that the growth of bacterial colonies – especially bacteria Prevotella – helps produce higher levels of healthy substances like short chain fatty acids. These substances are known to reduce inflammation, which can aid weight loss.
Weightloss
We know from other research that a person’s genes can influence their risk of becoming obese – although there is no clear evidence that genetics also influence the ability to lose weight. But this recent study shows us that the type of bacteria in a person’s gut when they start a diet are better than cholesterol and other substances related to a person’s ability to burn fat to predict. how much weight a person will lose.
Although researchers have shown this link between the gut microbiome and weight loss, there is still a lot we don’t know, including the need to verify these results in a larger group to show that these bacteria are actually involved in weight loss. Study participants were also participating in a commercial weight loss program.
This means that the group may not be representative of the general population, which is another reason why more research is needed.
But if these results are verified, they could hold great promise for people looking to lose weight and keep it off because a person’s gut microbiome can be altered, unlike their genes. The next step will be to find out how people looking to lose weight can increase these specific fat-burning bacteria, either through diet including probiotics and prebiotics, or through more advanced treatments such as transplantation. fecal microbiota – a procedure in which a donor’s stool is placed in a patient to replace the good bacteria missing in the patient.
Previous clinical trials have already shown that certain types of bacteria found in probiotics help with weight loss. But these studies only measured a few types of bacteria used in probiotics.
The researchers in this study tested all of the bacteria found in a person’s gut, reinforcing the argument that gut microbes are crucial for weight. 
Ana Valdes, Professor of Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, University of Nottingham and Amrita Vijay, Research Associate in Gut Microbiome and Metabolic Health, University of Nottingham.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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