“How do I improve my gut bacteria? I need to lose weight and feel healthy.” This thoughtful question and comment by one of my readers inspired this series.
Last week (part 1): We zoomed in on the bacteria, viruses and fungi that reside in our gut.
These neighbors collectively known as our ɢᴜᴛ ᴍɪᴄʀᴏʙɪᴏᴍᴇ is increasingly being recognized as a major player in our metabolism and weight management
Some highlights from last week-
→ The experiments by researchers on regular mice and their germ free mice counterparts.
→ How Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the major groups identified in this role.
→ SCFA and the specific ways these bacteria affect our metabolism and weight directly or indirectly.
See last week's episode here ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gut-feeling-behind-your-weight-tina-agbaosi-md-a0ave
Thank you for coming along this journey.
Today, we will do a little more deep dive into these and more.
What we do know is that gut bacteria can affect weight in several important ways.
↳ They help transform bile acids. Certain bacteria like Bacteroides, Eubacterium, and Clostridium modify how our body digests and absorbs fats.
↳ They also ferment undigested carbohydrates to produce short-chain fatty acids aka SCFA i.e. acetate, propionate, and butyrate.
↳ These SCFA can supply up to 10% of our daily energy needs and improve insulin sensitivity.
↳ These SCFAs also trigger the production of peptide YY (PYY), a hormone that tells our brain we're full ie help us feel full, hence reducing our appetite, and slows stomach emptying.
Another layer: Some gut bacteria are really good at extracting energy from food.
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗯 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗲.
Apart from broad groups like Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes.
Specific strains matter.
📍 If we take Akkermansia muciniphila for example, they are increasingly associated with leanness and improved metabolic health.
📍 Or Christensenellaceae, which appears more abundant in individuals with lower body weight.
📍 Meanwhile, some strains of Lactobacillus may support weight loss, while others like L. reuteri and L. gasseri might actually promote weight gain.
📍 Bifidobacterium is another group generally linked to healthier weight profiles.
And here’s something worth noting, ᴏʙᴇꜱɪᴛʏ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ.
Subcutaneous fat (under the skin) and visceral fat (around your organs) may have different relationships with gut bacteria.
For example,
📍Some Firmicutes may be helpful in subcutaneous obesity,
📍while bacteria like Akkermansia show promise in targeting visceral fat.
Across the board, diversity appears to be a good thing.
A more diverse gut microbiome tends to be more resilient and is often associated with better health outcomes.
People with obesity frequently have less microbial diversity.
If we think of our gut like a beautiful colorful garden, the more diverse the variety of colorful plant growing and thriving in it, the more beautiful the garden would be.
So, how can we nurture that colorful gut bacteria garden?
Stay tuned for the next article in this series,
where I'll dive deeper into specific dietary strategies that might help optimize our gut microbiome for weight management and better health!
Thanks for reading, and as always—keep spreading knowledge wrapped in kindness
See the comments section for scientific papers referenced and kindly join the conversation. I appreciate your insights and feedback
here is the link to the last episode in the series- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gut-feeling-behind-your-weight-tina-agbaosi-md-a0ave
Note: This article simplifies current scientific understanding for general awareness. Individual responses vary. Please consult with your healthcare provider before making significant diet or lifestyle changes.