As research has developed, more and more emphasis has been placed on maintaining a healthy gut. Until recently though there was no correlation between a healthy gut and weight loss.
With a long list of ways to achieve weight loss, it’s not surprising that people would be skeptical of the idea. Counting calories, exercising and maintaining a healthy diet are some of the top ways people meet their weight loss goals.
But according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity, gut bacteria may be directly connected to how much weight an individual can lose under certain conditions. For more information on the study, read on!
The Study: The study provides evidence that one diet will not help every person lose weight.
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The study consisted of 54 people containing large weight circumferences. Two diets were implemented in the study and each participant was given one of the two diets to try for 26 weeks.
BraLightspring/shutterstock.comdon MarjiResearchers found that one diet was more effective than the other, but they also found out that bacteria in a participant’s digestive system played an important role in determining how much weight they were able to lose.
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Researchers also found that those who contained a higher ratio of Prevotella to Bacteroides lost more weight than those who had an equal amount of both.
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According to Medical News Today, almost half of the population contains a higher Prevotella to Bacteroids ratio. It showed that certain diets may only be effective for a certain portion of the population solely based on their gut bacteria.
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The lead author of the study, Professor Mads Fiil Hjorth explains these findings more thoroughly, “The study shows that only about half of the population will lose weight if they eat in accordance with the Danish national dietary recommendations and eat more fruit, vegetables, fibres, and whole grains.”
LucianMilasan/shutterstock.comThe results of this study have brought to light the questions that people constantly have asked regarding the percentage of success with certain diets, and why some work for one person and not the other.
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The best way to find out of you have the right kind of gut bacteria for a certain diet is to take a sample of your stool.
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Having the right kind of gut bacteria doesn’t only have an effect on weight loss, but a healthy gut bacteria can also have many overall health benefits as well.
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Improves Mental Health: Our bodies contain a second brain called the Enteric Nervous System (ENS). It controls and regulates our intestines and reports information to the brain using the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve links a number of organs to the brain, but 90% of the signals being transferred to the brain from it are travelling from the gut.
AfricanStudio/shutterstock.comBoost Energy Levels: When your body is absorbing nutrients and getting rid of all toxins, there is strong reason to believe that you will see an improvement in your energy levels.
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Regulates Hormone Levels: About 60% of the estrogen that is circulating in our blood is picked up by the liver and is then deactivated. If you have a healthy gut, that estrogen is then dumped into the gallbladder and released with bile into the intestines to be relieved in the stool.
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Reduces Yeast Infection Occurrences: A healthy gut also has the ability to deter the growth of pathogenic bacteria and yeast. It’s the primary defence against urinary tract infections.
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Help With Depression: This can be in direct link with boosting your energy. Our brains contain millions of neurons that have a close working relationship with trillions of bacteria that live in the gut. In stressful or depressing situations, the microbiota profile (community of organisms), may change itself, which would shift how different bacteria will interact with one another.
TZIDOSUN/shutterstock.comHelps With Spinal Cord Injuries: According to a study that was published in 2016 by researchers at Ohio State University, by restoring healthy levels of gut bacteria, fewer symptoms of spinal cord damage are present. Also, individuals are able to take more control over movement and daily functions.
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Improve Your Gut Bacteria: The easiest way to start improving your gut bacteria is to consume probiotic foods, avoid allergen foods, eat plenty of fibre, quit smoking if you’re a constant smoker, and most importantly…EXERCISE!
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