Manage your Gut Flora to Lose Weight

Gut flora means the microorganisms that live in the intestine of animals. Gut can be taken to mean intestine while flora to be the microbiota, microflora or microbiome that exist in the gut. The gut flora of obese individuals is different compared to that of lean persons. Various researches have shed light on this aspect but on different varieties of species. Some show a lesser number of bacteriodetes in obese people, while others reveal a lower level of beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus in them.

How gut flora affects your weight

Although it is rightly believed that the composition of gut flora depends on the diet to a great extent, but studies have also concluded that it affects your weight on its own too. If the microbiota of gut can be altered, it can turn out to be beneficial for your weight loss programme.

Although there is lack of clarity on the mechanism of the way gut flora influences regulates weight, it includes factors such as energy from polysaccharides, inflammation, sensitivity to insulin, energy expenditure and storage. There is no doubt that these factors are affected by gut flora. Although the composition of gut flora determines your

It has been noted that people who have gut dysbiosis, particularly with yeast overgrowth are inclined to have sugar cravings. Thus, it can be said that your gut flora can affect what you feel like eating. As gut flora plays a role in influencing food cravings, it also determines your dietary choices.

Obesity and gut flora

As obesity is hereditary, the importance of gut flora should not be underestimated. It can pass from mother to her child at birth and even by breastfeeding. Moreover, the child can also come get microorganisms from other family members.

Research has shown that babies born after C-section have doubly increased risk of being overweight. This is mainly because they are not exposed to good bacteria as much as they should be. The vaginal wall also has microorganisms and it may also has obesity-related gut flora. The differences in intestinal microflora in the first year of life is linked to greater obesity risk later on in life. In particular, low level of bifidobacteria make children susceptible to gain weight. Some of the obesity-linked gut flora are LPS, Lipopolysaccharide and methane-producing bacteria.

Even research conducted on mice have shown that those who have their gut flora removed completely pile on more weight. But probiotic supplements such as those of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species help them maintain a healthy body weight. Thus, it is important that your weight loss plan takes this into consideration.

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