Gut bacteria not calories determine whether you are thin or fat

We all assume that calorie intake & negative energy balance determines whether we are fat or thin. However, you may be surprised to learn that gut bacteria ( not calories) determine your body structure( fat or thin). Before we discuss further, let us through some light on gut bacteria.

Gut bacteria are microorganisms that live in the digestive tract of humans. They play important roles in the body including communicating with immune systems & also produce certain vitamins.  Gut bacteria also impacts how different foods are digested & produce certain chemicals that keep you full. Therefore, they play an important role in influencing your weight. The gut bacteria comes in contact with food you eat & thus impacts what nutrients you absorb & how energy is stored in your body. Folks who are obese have different gut bacteria than those who are non-obese. Obesity is also associated with low gut bacteria diversity which essential means that there were few types of bacteria in gut of obese folks. 

Trillions of bacteria & microorganisms live on your skin & body. There are more bacterials cells in your body than human cells. Different types of bacterias are found in your intestines. While some may cause disease most of them perform various vital body functions to keep you healthy.

1. Gut bacteria affect how body is digested

We all know visceral fat ( generally comes from consuming too much of trans fat) is a type of fat which surrounds your organ & makes you carry weight in your middle. Of the various types of fat your body has, visceral fat is the most dangerous for your health.

Type of gut bacteria you have in your body determines how much visceral fat you carry. 

Further, let us evaluate fibre. Human Body cannot digest fibre but some types of bacteria can. For folks having such bacteria in abundance can consume fibre effectively & produces type of chemicals that promote gut health & promote weight loss.

The ratio of these two types of bacterias, Prevotella & Bacteroidetes determine how much weight you lose given a particular diet.

Prevotella digests more of fibre & carbohydrates while Bacteroidetes digests more of animal protein & fat. Higher the Prevotella bacteria the more, higher is the incidence of fat/weight loss.

Besides, gut bacteria influence how dietary fats are absorbed which affect how fats are stored in the body.

Intake of minerals & nutrients( not energy/calorie consumption) impacts our weight management strategy. Minerals and vegetable fiber work to grow healthy strains of gut bacteria that improve your insulin sensitivity and metabolism, leading to faster fat burn.

2. Gut impacts inflammation
Inflammation can be caused by an unhealthy diet. For instance, having high amount of fat, sugar & refined/processed food items can lead to inflammatory chemicals in the bloodstream & fat tissue. It usually happens when your body activates your immune system to fight against infection. Gut bacteria plays an important role in inflammation. Some bacteria/species produce chemicals such as lipopolysaccharide(LPS) when they pass through blood. This results in weight gain.

However, some species of intestinal bacteria may reduce inflammation and prevent weight gain.

Bifidobacteria and Akkermansia are beneficial species of bacteria that help maintain a healthy gut barrier and prevent inflammatory chemicals from entering into the bloodstream

3. Gut bacteria produces chemicals that makes you feel full

Your body produces various hormones that impact your appetite such as leptin. Gut bacteria impacts how much of these hormones are produced & whether you are hungry or full. Short term fatty acids are chemicals which are produced when your gut bacteria breaks down fibre. One of these is called Propionate. People who took Propionate regularly witness change in their hunger level. Some people also experience reduced food intake & reduced weight gain. Besides consuming probiotic supplements can help you control your hunger level since it contains certain compounds that are fermented by gut bacteria.

Some of preferred food good for gut bacteria include:

1. Whole grains: Unrefined gut bacteria are high in fibre which are digested by healthy bacteria. This assists in weight loss.
2. Fruits & Vegetables: Fruits & Vegetables contains a lot of fibre which aids in healthy gut bacteria. Some specific plant based foods can improve gut bacteria diversity.
3. Nuts & seeds: Nuts & Seeds are high in fibre & contains healthy fats which further supports growth of healthy bacteria in the gut.
4. Polyphenol-rich foods: These include dark chocolate, green tea and red wine. Polyphenols in these foods can’t be digested alone but are broken down by beneficial gut bacteria which aids in the growth of good bacteria
5. Fermented Foods: Foods such as Yoghurt, Kombucha & Kefir contain bacteria such as Lactobacilli which minimise disease causing bacteria in intestines.