Microbiome For Weight Loss

Last Updated on November 7, 2022 by

A healthy gut microbiome is one of the key factors for a healthy metabolism. Its composition can make or break your weight loss goals. You should aim for a healthy and diverse microbiome when trying to get into shape.

Losing weight can be a difficult task. In today’s world of endless food options, it’s hard to stay on track with your weight loss goals. But here’s the good news: science has shown us that if you change your microbiome, you can change your weight. While it might sound like I’m getting a bit into the weeds discussing the microbiomes and gut flora associated with bowel movements, rest assured this is an extremely relevant topic. Let’s take a look at how we can use microbiome for weight loss. You can learn more about how Microbiome For Weight Loss by visiting my site at https://foodkeg.com/.

Microbiome For Weight Loss

There’s no such thing as skinny bacteria or fat microbes, but your gut bugs still help regulate metabolism, nutrient absorption, and weight management.

It can be frustrating to watch friends eat whatever they like, do very little exercise, and still look fit. Yet, it might not just be amazing metabolic powers, because gut bacteria and body weight are linked in many ways. Read on to find out how.

Gut bacteria and weight loss 101

Your gut microbes may help you to maintain a healthy body shape and even hold the answer to why some of us are protected from obesity.

Your large intestine is a haven for trillions of mutually beneficial microbes that make up your gut microbiota. These gut bacteria form an ecosystem involved in vital functions like metabolism, hunger, and digestion.

Even though it doesn’t always receive the recognition it deserves because humanity has feared microbes since their discovery, your microbiome is important for many aspects of your body, including your weight.

In particular, a diverse gut microbiome is beneficial for your health. That’s because different types of bacteria perform a variety of jobs in your colon, and thus, microbial diversity helps control your metabolism and in turn, your body weight.

However, if your intestinal environment is imbalanced, it can cause what is known as dysbiosis, and that’s not good for anyone. It can mean that you have lower levels of beneficial bacteria, more opportunistic pathogens, or reduced diversity — all of which can have an impact on your body.

Altogether, this can negatively impact your health and may even explain why you put on weight more easily than other people. But like your weight, gut microbial health is also influenced by your lifestyle. That’s right, food and exercise are also important for the diversity of your gut bacteria.

Microbes for weight loss: do they exist?

Search for skinny gut bacteria and you’ll actually read about microbes that reinforce the gut lining and modulate your metabolism.

Two gut bacteria are associated with lean body weight. Akkermansia muciniphila and Christensenella minuta are good gut bacteria for weight loss because they are linked with preventing weight gain and are often found in slim individuals.

Akkermansia can feed on the mucus that lines your gut, promoting its production which strengthens your intestinal barrier (a weaker gut lining is detected in people with obesity). These microbes also produce acetate, a short-chain fatty acid that helps regulate body fat stores and appetite.

You can try boost the abundance of A. muciniphila with prebiotic foods that fuel their activities. You probably eat some of these anyway, but increasing your intake could help the growth of Akkermansia in your gut and enhance your protection against obesity.

Foods to boost Akkermansia

  • Cranberries
  • Concord grapes
  • Black tea
  • Fish oil
  • Bamboo shoots
  • Flaxseeds
  • Rhubarb extract

Christensenella is also an emerging gut microbe associated with weight control. Like Akkermansia, it is abundant in the microbiomes of lean people, and scientists think it could be promising for preventing obesity, which is now considered a global health epidemic.

Christensenella is associated with your genetic makeup, meaning that to some extent, you have higher chances of finding this bacterium in your gut if your relatives have them too. Some people don’t have them, and that’s okay.

Microbes for weight loss
Only a microbiome test can accurately check your gut bacteria

So if your Atlas Microbiome Test didn’t detect any, don’t worry. You can still have a healthy microbiome without them because there are lots of other beneficial and probiotic bacteria that help regulate your metabolism.

However, strictly speaking, there are no weight loss bacteria. Instead, there is evidence that microbes indirectly act on our body fat composition. Researchers are already investigating how to manipulate gut health for weight loss purposes, so more findings are likely to emerge very soon.

☝️FACT☝️There’s no such thing as fat bacteria or skinny bacteria, what matters is microbiome composition, beneficial microbes, and functions.

How to change gut bacteria to lose weight

Beneficial gut microbes are happy to trade plant-based foods and healthy fats for their health-promoting services.

Getting 30g of fiber every day from plants of different colours (think red peppers, orange pumpkin, purple carrots, etc.) may also help diversify your microbiota which is good for your overall health.

This was shown by the results of the American Gut Project, in which people who ate 30 plant foods of different colours per week had the greatest microbiota diversity. You can read more about these foods in our guides:

Rainbow plant foods contain many different phytonutrients, like polyphenols, that help the body prevent free radical damage and inflammation. They also contain a variety of fibers for gut health. Both of these also nourish beneficial bacteria in the microbiota.

Gut health and weight gain: food matters

So, we now know two types of bacteria that prevent obesity, but what about gut bacteria and weight gain? Simply put, what you eat is a huge factor. In fact, changing your diet won’t just change your weight, it’s the fastest way to change your microbes too.

There are links between gut bacteria and weight. The gut microbiota of individuals who are overweight show patterns of dysbiosis compared to healthy individuals.

Ultimately, this is associated with inflammation and increased blood sugar levels because there is a greater extraction of energy from food. Equally, these two factors are linked to being overweight or obese, and so to is the Western diet because of its high levels of sugar and fat.

Research has also shown that following a natural plant-based diet reduces calorie intake, increases weight loss, and lowers metabolic markers. It also nourishes beneficial gut bacteria because plants contain lots of different prebiotic fibers.

In a study involving type II diabetes patients, a vegan diet was shown to be more effective at controlling blood sugar levels than a usual diabetic diet. And, in the plant diet group, calorie intake was lower, which meant weight loss was more rapid. Interestingly, the beneficial bacteria that thrive on plant foods are also associated with better blood sugar control.

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A person stands on a weight scale in bare feet.
People who lost weight had higher levels of certain beneficial bacteria in their gut. New Africa/ Shutterstock

The trillions of microbes inside of 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 into the body, it can also influence whether we are lean or obese.

Recent research even suggests that our gut microbiome can influence our ability to lose weight. Researchers from the University of Washington in the US found that the presence of specific “good” microbes in the gut of people dieting to lose weight affected how many pounds they were able to lose.

To understand what effect a person’s gut microbes have on weight loss, the researchers looked at 105 overweight people, all of whom were enrolled in a year-long weight loss programme. To track their weight loss, the researchers recorded participants’ starting body mass index (BMI).

The 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 beginning and end of the study to determine which microbes were present in each participant’s gut – and at which levels.

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The researchers then compared people who had lost weight (at least 1% of their bodyweight on average each month) to those whose weight had remained the same. They discovered that various blood markers related to metabolism were only minimally different between those who did and didn’t lose weight.

But really different were the types of gut microbes that the two groups had. In people who lost more weight, they had more beneficial bacterial enzymes in the gut. These enzymes helped to break down complex carbohydrates (like those found in whole grains) into simple sugars, which makes them easier to digest and potentially less likely to store them as fat.

The authors also found that the growth of bacterial colonies – in particular the bacteria Prevotella – help to produce higher levels of healthy substances like short-chain fatty acids. These substances are known to reduce inflammation, which may facilitate weight loss.

Weight loss

We know from other research that a person’s genes can influence their risk of becoming obese – though there’s no clear evidence that genetics also influences 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 that relate to a person’s ability to burn fat at predicting how much weight a person will lose.

Though the researchers have shown this link between gut microbiome and weight loss, there is still much we don’t know – including needing to verify these findings in a larger group to show these bacteria are actually involved in weight loss. The study’s participants were also taking part of a commercial weight loss programme. This means the group may not be representative of the general population, which is another reason why further research is needed.

Small glass pots filled with different probiotic foods, such as yoghurt and sauerkraut.

But if these findings are verified, they could be very promising for people looking to lose weight and keep it off, as a person’s gut microbiome can be modified – unlike their genes. The next step will be finding out how people looking to lose weight can increase these specific fat-burning bacteria, either through diet by including probiotics and prebiotics, or by more advanced treatments such as fecal microbiota transplantation – a procedure in which stool from a healthy donor is placed in a patient to replace good bacteria that are missing in the patient.

Previous clinical trials have already shown that certain types of bacteria present in probiotics help lose weight. But those studies only measured a couple of types of bacteria used in probiotics. The researchers from this study tested all bacteria present in a person’s gut – strengthening the argument that gut microbes are crucial for weight.

The Benefits of a Healthy Gut Microbiome for Weight Loss

Obesity Weight Loss Concept

Many aspects of human health, including digestion, metabolism, and immune function, are influenced by the gut microbiome. There is mounting evidence that the gut microbiome plays a role in weight loss and obesity prevention.

Don’t underestimate the importance of a healthy gut. Research shows that a healthy gut microbiome is integral to human health. What is this entity known as the gut microbiome? It’s a community of microorganisms that live in your intestinal tract, and they’re residing there in no small numbers. Shockingly, there are trillions of microorganisms hiding in your gut, outnumbering human cells in your body by 10 to 1.

The gut microbiome plays a role in many aspects of human health, including digestion, metabolism, and immune function. And this community of microorganisms may even determine your body weight. There is growing evidence that the gut microbiome is important for weight loss and preventing obesity. The gut microbiome influences weight in several ways. The gut microbiome:

  • Helps break down food and extract energy from food.
  • Affects the way the body processes and stores fat.
  • Plays a role in appetite and food choice.

A healthy gut microbiome is key for weight loss and preventing obesity. But what exactly is a healthy gut microbiome? Scientists are still trying to determine the precise make-up of a healthy microbiome that optimizes digestive and immune function and helps you stay lean and healthy.

So far, they believe a healthy gut microbiome is characterized by a diversity of microorganisms. More strains of bacteria are healthier for you than having a limited group of microorganisms. How do you obtain such diversity? The best way is to include a variety of different types of probiotics and prebiotics in the diet to support a healthy gut microbiome. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria you can get by eating fermented foods or taking a probiotic supplement. And then there are prebiotics, which you also get from food sources.

Illustration of Gut Microbiome

Illustration of the gut microbiome.

The Role of Prebiotics in Weight Control

Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates that serve as a food source for probiotics. Among the foods that contain them are asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, chicory, garlic, onions, and legumes. Why are prebiotics important? By encouraging the growth of probiotics, prebiotics help maintain a healthy gut microbiome. They also aid in the absorption of certain minerals, including calcium, zinc, iron, and zinc. Including probiotics and prebiotics in the diet is a way to build and maintain a healthy gut microbiome and optimize nutrient absorption.

Plus, bacteria ferment prebiotics to form short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids have a favorable effect on the lining of the intestinal tract and on metabolic health. There’s also evidence that eating prebiotic-rich food reduces appetite. A meta-analysis of multiple studies found that a combination of probiotics and prebiotics supports weight loss and weight control. Since prebiotics are a type of fiber, it’s not surprising that prebiotic foods reduce appetite.

Heart Healthy Gut Body Concept

Researchers believe the gut microbiome influences obesity through it effect on inflammation, an overzealous immune response that plays a role in almost every chronic health problem.

The Gut Microbiome May Affect Body Weight by Its Effect on the Immune System

Researchers believe the gut microbiome plays a role in obesity by its effect on inflammation, an overzealous immune response. Inflammation is a process that occurs when the body’s immune system responds to injury or infection. It is a normal and necessary process, but chronic inflammation is harmful and linked to many diseases, including obesity. As experts point out, inflammation plays a role in every chronic health problem.

So how does the gut microbiome contribute to inflammation? One way is by triggering the release of inflammatory molecules called cytokines. The gut microbiome also affects the way the body responds to inflammation. For example, the gut microbiome can increase the amount of inflammation in the body or make it harder to keep inflammation in check.

Inflammation also changes how cells respond to insulin, leading to insulin resistance. With insulin resistance, cells don’t take up glucose from the bloodstream as easily. So, your pancreas is forced to pump out more insulin and this leads to higher circulating insulin levels. What does insulin do? It helps get glucose into cells, but also tells your fat cells to convert some of the glucose in your bloodstream to fat. That’s not what you want if you’re overweight or obese.

Body Nutrition Balance Healthy Gut Concept

These are small adjustments you can make on a daily basis to maintain and improve your gut microbiome.

Optimize the Health of Your Gut Microbiome

Gut health matters for health and weight control. Until scientists know more about the exact species that help with weight control, it’s best to keep your gut microbiome as diverse as possible.

What can you do to have a healthier gut microbiome? Some of the most important things include:

  1. Eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and avoiding processed foods.
  2. Limiting antibiotic use. While antibiotics can be lifesaving when needed, they can also kill off good bacteria in your gut.
  3. Consuming more fermented foods with probiotics, beneficial bacteria that help restore the gut microbiome.
  4. Exercising regularly. Exercise is important for overall health, and it can also help keep your gut microbiome healthy.
  5. Reducing stress. Stress can have a negative impact on the gut microbiome, so it’s important to find ways to reduce stress in your life.
  6. Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners.

These are simple changes that you can make every day to keep and improve your gut microbiome. And over time, they will have a positive impact on your overall health and well-being, including your weight and your risk for obesity and disease.

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