Intensive Lifestyle Intervention Can Benefit Health While Changing Our Microbiota

Trillions of microbiota live in our gut. Some of these microbiota perform activities such as the extraction of calories from food and the management of nutrients. While the microbiota are common to all people, each individual has a unique set of the microbiota. And some of the microbiota have a positive impact on our health, while some do not. And one study has concluded that intensive lifestyle intervention plus an energy-restricted Mediterranean diet can improve heath while causing a change in certain microbiota.

The study consisted of two groups: an intensive lifestyle intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG). Both groups followed a Mediterranean diet. The IG participants followed an energy-restricted Mediterranean diet and the participants were advised to engage in physical activity. The CG participants followed a non energy-restricted Mediterranean diet with no advice on physical activity.

The study consisted of men and women from the age of 55 to 75. Participants did not have a “documented history of cardiovascular disease at baseline.” The participants' BMI ranged from 27 to 40. Each participant also had at least three of the components of metabolic syndrome as defined by the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

There were 400 participants in the study. The participants were randomized to one of the two groups, each group consisting of 200 subjects. The CG participants received information on the Mediterranean diet, along with one individual and one group session every six months, to keep the participants on track. The information was delivered by trained dietitians and nurses.

The IC participants received more individualized attention, including motivational interviewing delivered by trained dietitians. The IC group also participated in group sessions. And for one year, the IC participants received a monthly follow-up phone call. The IC group members were also given specific weight loss goals.

At the end of the one-year study, the researchers concluded that for the IC participants, there was a  decrease in “BMI, fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and triglycerides and an increase in HDL cholesterol” compared to the CG participants. There was also a decrease in microbiota, including "Butyricicoccus, Haemophilus, Ruminiclostridium 5, and Eubacterium hallii in the IG compared with the CG."

So, there seems to be a relationship between an intensive lifestyle intervention, plus a Mediterranean diet, and gut microbiota.  Of course, more research is needed to determine what the relationship is, but the combination of intensive lifestyle intervention plus a healthy diet, once more, appears to be a key tool for improving health.

-------------------------------------------------------

Tags: environmental scanning, balanced scorecard, business planning, strategic management, bariatric medicine, obesity medicine, medical practice start up, bariatric industry analysis, weight loss industry analysis, weight management industry analysis, prediabetes, overfat