Gut bacteria and your weight

Are you aware of the relationship between gut bacteria and weight? Gut bacteria are vital for weight management and weight loss. However, poor gut health can have the reverse effect, leading to obesity or weight issues. So you must understand how gut bacteria affects your weight and how to keep your gut flora healthy. You can contact us by visiting our clinic or visiting our website at https://doralhw.org/.

 

This article explains the relationship between gut bacteria and weight.

Role of gut bacteria in obesity

As gut bacteria help to manage weight, they can also lead to weight gain and obesity. This happens when you have poor gut health or “dysbiosis”, a condition that creates an unhealthy imbalance of gut microbes and often signals the microbial diversity to shift the balance from healthy to unhealthy microbes.

While it’s true that obesity does not only happen due to one but multiple factors, gut flora may be the most crucial one that causes obesity. In one study in 2006, scientists transplanted the stool of obese mice into germ-free mice, and they became obese. However, when the same test was done with lean mice stool was transplanted into germ-free mice, the results did not turn.

Similarly, a later study in 2013 also did the same stool test on human twins in which one was obese and one was lean, and it showed the same results. This means that gut bacteria health can influence your weight in both ways depending on what kind of bacteria and microbes are present in your gut.

 

Ways to improve gut health

You can improve your gut health by introducing certain changes in your diet and lifestyle. Here are some common changes that help you improve your gut health:

  • Increase your fiber intake: Eating fiber in your diet keeps your gut healthy and increases the production of short-chain fatty acids, which is essential for your health and weight control. Aim for at least 30 grams of fiber per day from foods such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and legumes.
  • Exercise regularly: Exercise also improves your gut health by increasing microbiome diversity and keeping your gut bacteria healthy. It is also recommended for weight loss.
  • Review your medication with your healthcare provider to know if they affect your microbiome: Avoid unnecessary antibiotics and other drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and proton-pump inhibitors, because these medications can negatively impact your microbiome. However, some medications such as metformin, also have beneficial effects on your gut health.
  • Add more fermented foods to your diet: Fermented foods contain high levels of probiotics or healthy bacteria that improve your gut health. Fermented foods include yogurt, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha.
  • Include more polyphenols in your diet: Polyphenols work as a substance that feeds healthy bacteria and keeps your gut microbes in balance. It is found in foods such as berries, red wine, dark chocolate, tea, and coffee.
  • Consider discussing certain supplements with your healthcare provider: Before choosing any supplement for your gut health consider consulting with your healthcare provider to get the best supplement for your gut which may include probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics.
  • Avoid artificial sweeteners: These sweeteners can lead to dysbiosis which means an unhealthy balance of gut microbes which decreases the microbial diversity and shifts the balance from healthy to unhealthy microbes.

 

Gut bacteria is linked with weight more closely than you think. It affects nutrient absorption, and energy storage, and triggers hunger hormones such as leptin and ghrelin. An imbalance in gut bacteria also increases the chances of weight gain and healthy bacteria can help to reduce your weight. So, you must manage your gut health to promote a healthy weight.

 

If you are looking for advice to keep your gut healthy, contact us to get personalized recommendations depending on how your digestion works. If you need help with digestive issues, visit our gastroenterology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment or for a consultation!!!

You can schedule an appointment with Doral Health and Wellness Gastroenterology Center’s best gastroenterologist doctors in Brooklyn. If you are looking for treatments, you can also talk to our specialists and inquire with them. To schedule an appointment, please visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212 or call 1-347-384-5690.