How Gut Health Can Help You Lose Weight?

Our gut bacteria affect both general health and body weight. (Image via Unsplash/ Towfiqu Barbhuiya)
Our gut bacteria affect both general health and body weight. (Image via Unsplash/ Towfiqu Barbhuiya)

If I say that it’s your gut that is not letting you lose weight, you would certainly think that I have gone mad.

But the truth is that it might be possible! You could be right if you have a gut feeling that something is keeping you from shedding as much weight as you'd like to.

The bacteria in your intestines that aid in digestion and nutritional absorption, known as the gut microbiome, have been discovered to have an impact on your capacity to lose weight.

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According to a recent study appearing in the journal mSystems of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the beneficial bacteria in our gut directly affect our capacity to lose weight.

Relationship Between Gut Health and the Ability to Lose Weight?

Numerous vital functions in our body are performed by the trillions of microorganisms that live in our gut. This "microbiome" not only controls our metabolism and aids in the body's ability to absorb nutrients from meals, but it can also have an impact on whether we are lean or obese.

Even more recently, it has been discovered that our gut flora may affect our capacity to lose weight. Researchers from the University of Washington in the US discovered that a person's ability to lose weight depended on the presence of particular "good" microorganisms in their gut.

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Gut bacteria communicate with your immune system and produce specific vitamins, among other crucial functions for your health.

Additionally, your gut flora can generate substances that make you feel satiated and influence how different foods are digested. They may therefore have an impact on your weight.

Is a Healthy Gut the Key to Weight Loss?

The way your food is processed, how fat is stored, and whether you feel full or not can all be impacted by the bacteria in your gut, which may have an impact on your capacity to lose weight.

Additionally, check out these 5 weight loss tips for beginners.

Your body's ability to absorb certain nutrients is impacted by the bacteria that line the walls of your gut, which are in continual touch with the food you eat. Complex carbs, proteins, and to a lesser extent fats that enter the lower gastrointestinal system are all broken down by the human gut microbiome, which is an essential part of digestion.

How Do I Change My Gut Bacteria to Lose Weight

For centuries, our gut microorganisms have coevolved with humans. It is becoming more and more clear how important they are to maintaining health. They thus affect both general health and body weight.

Can you alter the composition of your gut microbiome with food to increase the number of bacteria that can aid in weight loss? Let's investigate this intriguing potential.

You can take the following steps to make sure you are eating the correct foods for the bacteria in your gut:

1) Consume more fiber

Prebiotic fiber nourishes the good microorganisms in your gut. Short-chain fatty acids are biochemicals that are created when gut bacteria digest or ferment indigestible material. These biochemicals can have an impact on a number of metabolic processes.

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Include a wide range of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet, such as onions, eggplants, beets, mushrooms, and leafy greens like spinach and kale, to promote the diversity of gut bacteria.

2) Include probiotics and other supplements

Probiotics are an injection of good microorganisms for your digestive system. They can be found in foods that have undergone fermentation, such as yogurt, with a live culture that contains Lactobacillus bacteria. If you want to stop eating dairy products, you can substitute fermented non-dairy foods such as fermented soybean milk, kimchi, or tempeh.

3) Go nuts

Nuts and seeds also include good lipids that support the development of intestinal bacteria in addition to fiber. Additionally, you can include foods high in polyphenols like dark chocolate, green tea, and, in moderation, red wine.

Check out this list of 5 nuts that you must include in your daily diet.

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Certain processed foods and foods high in sugar can encourage the growth of dangerous gut flora. Artificial sweeteners like saccharin and aspartame must be avoided since they can lower the population of beneficial gut bacteria. Those high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, must be substituted with foods high in harmful fats in the diet.

Conclusion

Numerous factors, including your weight, are influenced by the trillions of bacteria that live in your gut. You might be able to lose weight if you improve the health of your microbiome right away. We might realize that the future of treating obesity is in your gut as science develops.

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