Gut Bacteria Diversity in Weight Control
A 2008
study
done in St. Louis showed that trillions of bacteria
live in our gut. These bacteria perform many
functions for our bodies, including calorie
extraction and nutrient management. Although
bacteria are found in all our guts, each individual
has a unique set of gut bacteria. One study
indicated that the makeup of the gut bacteria plays
an important role in weight control. And more
recently, studies
have shown that individuals with the least diverse
set of gut bacteria are more susceptible to obesity.
In one
of these recent studies, researchers looked at the
stool of approximately 300 Danish subjects. Subjects
in the group were a mixture of lean and obese
individuals. The researchers found that the group
members who had a low level of gut bacteria
diversity had more insulin resistance, more
inflammation, and signs of future metabolic
diseases. The researchers also concluded that obese
group members who had low levels of gut bacteria
diversity were more likely to gain weight.
Another
one of the recent studies done by researchers in
France examined a group of 49 French subjects. All
of the subjects were overweight or obese. And all of
the subjects were put on a low calorie diet. For
those subjects who started the low calorie diet with
a low gut bacteria diversity, there was an
improvement in metabolic parameters. But for those
who started the low calorie diet with a high gut
bacteria level, the improvement in metabolic
parameters was less pronounced.
So a
high level of gut bacteria diversity can improve
metabolic parameters and help a person maintain a
healthy weight. And diet apparently plays an
important role in diversifying our gut bacteria.
Therefore, gut bacteria are an area that deserves a
lot more research. More research will enable
analysts to pinpoint the diets that best diversify
gut bacteria.
Organizations
that offer meal replacements should be especially
interested in this research. Understanding gut
bacteria may enable these organizations to provide
improved meal replacement products.
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