4 Reasons to Make Friends with Gut Bacteria to Lose Weight

All human organs work in coordination to seamlessly perform various functions. If any of them suffers from malfunctioning, others also encounter challenges of varying degrees. The same goes for the impact of gut health on other body functions. A comprehensive understating of the phenomenon requires starting from the basics. Let’s start with gut bacteria.

Gut bacteria is one of the several intestinal microbiotas which reside in the gastrointestinal tract. Many of these unicellular microorganisms have beneficial impacts on the human body. Gut microbiota starts developing since the birth of an individual and continues to diversify till adulthood. A mature and healthy human contains trillions of microorganisms mainly dominated by two phyla, including firmicutes and bacteroidetes. Collectively, the microbiomes influence various functions of the human body, such as immunological, physical, dietary, and metabolic. Hence, the symbiotic functioning of the microbiomes significantly nourishes the overall well-being of the human body, where maintaining weight is one of the notable aspects.

The following sections dig deeper into the role of gut bacteria and explore their positive participation in regulating human body weight.

Stabilizing Body Weight

Gut microbiota carries out various digestive functions, including breaking down food and converting nutrients into energy, necessary for cellular functions. However, the problem occurs when the consumed food is non-nutritious or harms gut diversity, such as processed food. In such cases, the gut ecosystem can disturb digestive functions and contribute to weight gain.

Undeniably, enriched gut florae are essential for the ingestion of food and assimilation of associated nutrients. For instance, health-benefiting bacteria enhance digestible fragmentation of fibers and transforms them into useful fatty acids. Notably, fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory function which can help in weight management and even achieve leanness. On the other hand, the type and variety of food intake remarkably influence our digestive health. For instance, low fiber and high carb food reduce the diversity and population of health-benefiting bacteria. Such actions impair the nutrient absorption mechanism and impose negative consequences for the overall well-being.

Regulating Bowel Movement

Although a proper bowl movement depends upon various factors, including a balanced intake, sleep, and physical activity, gut health is also a huge contributor. Various research studies suggest that imbalanced and malfunctioning intestinal microbes lead to various gastroenterological problems, such as irregular bowel movement and inflammatory diseases. Problematic bowel movement in return establishes favorable conditions for even more severe gastrointestinal diseases.

A less diverse gut microbiome has lower production of substances like lactate and fatty acids. As a result, pH level regulation in the intestine is disturbed. In fact, clinical studies affirm a positive correlation between chronic constipation and imbalanced microbiota. It means patients suffering from chronic constipation show a significant discrepancy in firmicutes and bacteroidetes. Thus, appropriate levels of gut microbes are crucial to maintaining a healthy bowel movement.

Preventing Occurrence Of Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition where patients suffer from excessive buildup of body mass. According to the World Organization, a patient with a body mass index of more than 30 falls in the category of obesity. Fortunately, it is a curable disease in which the gut flora has a lot to contribute. For instance, the gut-inhibiting microbiomes significantly contribute to maintaining and regulating body weight. Specifically, the richness, pliability, and proportionate population of these microorganisms are necessary to prevent chronic diseases.

Studies reveal that the obese patients’ gut contains more firmicutes than bacteroidetes. One of the consequences of a higher number of firmicutes is the higher production of butyric acid. Butyric acid augments the metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. As a result, caloric consumption is higher, which, in the long run, can establish obesity. In addition, fecal sample analysis shows that obese patients had approximately 90% lower number of bacteroidetes and a higher number of firmicutes. Even after modifying dietary consumption, both microbes could not achieve a balanced level similar to non-obese individuals.

Minimizing The Risk Of Obesity-Induced Diseases

There is substantial evidence on the impact of dysbiosis, an imbalanced gut microbiome, and obesity on the human body. Obesity causes the onset of chronic diseases like diabetes. Various observatory studies highlight a staggering association between diabetes and obesity. The simple equation goes as follows.

Abnormal microbiota composition disturbs various processes, such as boosting energy production, impairing the metabolism of fatty acids, and altering body fat. Such alterations contribute to obesity, enhance insulin resistance, and eventually lead to the onset of diabetes. It is because obesity modifies metabolic functions, which can trigger a higher amount of fat into bloodstreams. More fat in the blood can disturb insulin responsiveness. In fact, obese patients are approximately 80 to 85% more prone to developing type-2 diabetes than non-obese individuals.

Research studies suggest that a healthy and balanced diet improves the production of different metabolites in the gastrointestinal tract. Subsequently, the variety and richness of the microbiomes contribute to weight management and reduces complications for human health, thus highlighting the importance of gut bacteria.