Gut microbes weight loss

So it stands to reason that the more healthy whole, natural plant-based foods you eat, the more you are feeding your gut bacteria—the trillions of little micro-organisms in your gut—healthy food that keeps the "good" bacteria fed, and your body able to absorb healthy nutrients. To have a healthy gut—and in turn, a healthy body, able to shed pounds and have energy, focus, a healthy immune system, and a positive mood—you need to feed the healthy bacteria with prebiotics which are essentially fiber foods that help your positive bacteria grow, explains Dr.

Anthony Thomas, a Ph. Studies have shown that probiotics, the microorganisms that mimick the healthy bacteria in the gut, are only able to grow and multiply if you feed them prebiotics, which are high fiber foods and those that contain flavonoids, found in fruits and vegetables. It's not easy to get enough of either without supplementing, but you can try if you are willing to change the way you eat.

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Studies have shown that gut health is directly related to disease and inflammation, weight gain, and mood. To allow your body to do its job and fight inflammation and metabolize nutrients and lose weight, you need to alter your gut microbiome, and that means eating more plant-based foods.

We have approximately 3 times as many microbes on our body—and most of them in our gut—than we have human cells.


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There are about trillion microbes living in your gut, and as you move down the intestinal tract you have an increasing amount of microbiota, which when considered together, is practically a different organ. Their collective genetic material is referred to as the microbiome and there are about times as much DNA in them as in our own bodies So they provide us with lots of different benefits.

They digest food, alter our genetic function and they are a barrier to the body. Among the "successful" weight-loss group, participants lost an average of Next, using the stool samples, the researchers analyzed the participants' gut microbiome for bacterial genes that play a role in breaking down carbohydrates. They found that, in the unsuccessful weight-loss group, there was an increased number of these bacterial genes, compared with the successful weight- loss group.

What's more, the study also found that people in the successful weight-loss group had higher amounts of a bacterium called Phascolarctobacterium , while those in the unsuccessful weight-loss group had higher amounts of a bacterium called Dialister. Still, it's unclear whether Dialister bacteria specifically use carbohydrates in a way that could hinder weight loss, the researchers noted.

The new study is "supportive of things we're learning about the microbiome," said Dr. Indeed, the findings agree with other recent studies that suggest gut bacteria may play a role in obesity and weight loss. For example, a study in mice found that mice who received a "gut bacteria transplant" from an obese human gained more weight and fat mass than those who received bacteria from a lean human.


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  4. And a study in people found that bariatric surgery may lead to long-term changes in people's gut bacteria that could contribute to weight loss. One key microbe appears to be Helicobacter pylori , the bacterium that's involved in causing ulcers and stomach cancer. Antibiotic treatments have helped cut H. You might not even have to take antibiotics to feel their effects on your gut bacteria.

    The heavy reliance on antibiotics by the food industry, which routinely uses the drugs in feed to keep livestock healthy, may be fueling the rise of obesity by disrupting the fine balance of our intestinal microbes, some experts believe. So the question is, what happened then? What was a large segment of the population exposed to that could account for this massive weight gain?

    He points out that that's when the number of large-scale densely packed factory farms expanded, which also increased the use of antibiotics in livestock feed.

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    Today, 80 percent of the antibiotics sold in the United States go toward helping animals remain healthy and gain more weight in crowded conditions. Not to mention that antibiotics are often used when they shouldn't be, as when doctors prescribe them for viral infections or because patients demand them. Sometimes a full course of antibiotics isn't necessary.

    The exact repercussion on human health is still being debated, but Dr. Blaser says that the gut bacteria-weight loss link in laboratory studies is pretty clear.

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    And if you put them on both, they get very fat. A study in the journal Nature found that when people switched from their normal diet to one consisting primarily of meat and cheese, there was an almost immediate increase in Bilophila , a type of bacteria that has been linked to colitis, but that a plant-based diet decreased the levels. Eat more fiber. It's the number-one thing you can do to better your gut bacteria and hopefully help with weight loss , says Justin Sonnenburg, Ph.

    Research suggests that fiber nourishes your microbes , making them diverse and more likely to help keep you at a healthy weight. Avoid the temptation to buy processed foods that have added fiber.

    Instead, eat vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Aim for at least two to three servings each of produce and whole grains and 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day, says Mark Moyad, M. These foods also provide prebiotics, which are essentially a type of fiber that your gut bacteria flourishes on. Some plants, like sunchokes, garlic, and leeks, are packed with prebiotics.

    Bananas and whole-wheat breakfast cereals are other good sources. Snack smarter. The fact that we consume so much added sugar —more than 22 teaspoons a day for the average person—could actually be starving our gut flora, says Sonnenburg. Bacteria need complex carbohydrates, like legumes and whole grains, in order to thrive. So when you get too many calories from sweets, you're leaving your microbes hungry. They either die or adapt by feeding on the mucus inside your intestine, which, experts hypothesize, could contribute to low-level inflammation, a condition that has been linked to obesity.

    Instead of grabbing a cookie when your stomach starts growling at p. Check labels for hidden sugars in foods like pasta sauce and salad dressing.

    These gut bacteria prevent mice from becoming obese -- what could that mean for us? -- ScienceDaily

    And choose brown rice and whole-grain pasta instead of white. Pick probiotic foods. If prebiotics are like fertilizer for your microbial garden, probiotics are like seeds. The best way to get them is by regularly eating fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and miso. And about yogurt, that probiotic rock star: A landmark study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that among all foods studied, yogurt was the one most strongly correlated with weight loss.

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    The average person gained almost a pound a year, but people who regularly ate yogurt actually lost weight. Choose plain Greek yogurt and mix in pomegranate seeds or your favorite berries for a hit of fiber. Related: 5 Legit Benefits of Probiotics.

    6 Ways to Get your Gut Bacteria On Your Side for Weight Loss

    Move your body. Your bacteria might benefit from a good workout as much as you do. Exercisers with a normal BMI had more diverse microbes than exercisers with a high BMI, according to an Irish study of male rugby players. They also had higher levels of Akkermansiaceae , a type of bacteria that has been linked to lower obesity rates. So sweat daily to trim your gut—and to boost your gut bacteria. Save FB Tweet ellipsis More. Image zoom. By Laura Beil and Renee Cherry. Comments 26 Add Comment. April 6, Hi, my name is Kate and I would like to share my story. Up until about 2 years ago, I was 30 pounds overweight.

    Over the years I had followed many different diet plans, but failed every single time. I was "blessed" with a pear shaped body and no matter what i did, I always retained lots of stubborn fat in my lower body. Everything changed when I found the right diet program. March 14, Lost 41 pounds and 4 dress sizes.