The secret may have been inside us all along.
Scientist at Chalmers University of Technology believe that the makeup of microorganisms in a person’s gut could affect how they lose weight. The gut can contain up to 1000 different types of bacteria and microorganisms, some of which can affect a person’s metabolism.
Using a mathematical formula, researchers can predict how changes to a person’s diet could affect these microorganisms, according to the results published in Cell Metabolism.
Professor Jans Neilson of Chalmers University of Technology believes that by using his studies findings, doctors may be able to use dietary changes to heal patients. These diets would vary based on the composition of the gut flora of each individual.
Due to the complexity of the gut’s microorganisms, a causal study between food and the gut’s processes has so far eluded scientists. They have, however, discovered something very interesting.
Researchers have found that people with a higher concentration of diverse microorganisms in their gut produced fewer amino acids when placed on a trial diet. This in turn leads to overall better health by improving their blood chemistry.
How Do We Promote Good Gut Health?
So how can we improve our gut bacteria, or ensure that they are working optimally? The answer is simple, probiotics.
A study conducted by Imperial College London and the Nestle Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland, looks into how probiotics change the biochemistry of gut microbes. These gut microbes play an important part in a person’s metabolic makeup.
The researchers gave two different probiotic drinks to mice who had been transplanted with human gut microorganisms. The probiotic drinks contained ‘friendly’ bacteria, and there is evidence that these ‘friendly’ bacteria can have positive effects on the digestive system.
Friendly Gut Bacteria
They found that using probiotics had a whole range of biochemical effects. By adding ‘friendly’ bacteria, you change the makeup of the microorganisms in the gut. You’re not only adding more kinds of the bacteria found naturally, but the ‘friendly’ bacteria worked with other microbes to make them work more effectively and amplifying their effects.
One of the many biochemical changes that were observed by researchers was a change in how the mice who were treated with probiotics metabolized bile acids. These acids are produced by the liver and their primary function is to emulsify fats in the upper part of the gut.
If probiotics can change the way bile acids are metabolized, that means they can change how much fat the body is able to absorb.
Working Together – Gut Bacteria and Weight Loss
The scientists hope that their new insight into how probiotics and gut microorganisms interact will, in the end, enable the development of new probiotic therapies. These therapies can be custom made to tailor to people with different conditions and different metabolic makeups.
The results of this study are highly promising when it comes to addressing personalized nutrition. By understanding the changes caused by beneficial bacteria, scientists are able to develop customized nutritional solutions to enhance the health and wellness of people at an individual level.
Although you can find probiotics naturally in yoghurt and other fermented dairy products, the same effects can be gained through probiotic supplements which don’t carry the same caloric burden as other methods. So get gut healthy today with the power of probiotics!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080115085347.htm
