Weight, Is it my gut?

Unhealthy diet and not enough exercise are the main causes usually addressed by people battling weight issues - but now new research is showing that the billions upon billions of bacteria that reside in our gut are playing a major role in both how much we weigh and our physical appearance.

This is due to our gut bacteria being able to influence the way we store fat and how our body balances blood glucose levels; these microscopic workers can even alter our feelings of being hungry or full.

When researchers began looking into the role of gut flora in obesity, they discovered that the microbiome within the gut of people at a healthy weight was much more diverse than in those who were overweight.

One study found that obese women who consumed a pro-biotic supplement were able to lose twice as much fat over a six month period as those who did not. The probiotics helped control their appetite, which seemed to decrease as their gut microbiome adapted and became more diverse.

There’s an abundance of evidence that consuming a diet high in bad fats, refined carbs and low fibre disrupts the balance between good and bad bacteria and favours fat accumulation and obesity. This is why it helps to consume foods that support the growth of beneficial bacteria.

                                            sourced from:

                                            Supercharge your Gut

                                            Lee Holmes

                                            Murdoch Books 2018