The influence of gut bacteria on weight loss
When it comes to the matter of weight loss, the simpler things are often overlooked in an effort to prioritize the complicated aspect of it, one of such is “Gut Bacteria” this helps regulate metabolism, weight management and nutrient absoption.
Have you ever been frustrated on why your pals can eat whatever they like minimum amount of exercises and still look fit, while you just eat little and break your body in a gym and still end up adding up more weight, I know it can be really tiresome right? this probably has to do with ones gut bacteria, now you may ask how does this actually affect ones weight? Don’t worry just sit back tighten your sit belts and let’s go on a ride.
First of all your gut is full of bacteria which are known as “Microbiomes” which is present in a persons large intestine, these gut bacteria form an environment, which are involved in playing some key functions in the body such as metabolism, hunger and digestion, your gut bacteria also determines how quickly or slowly lose weight regardless of the diet you follow your workout program and your undergoing lifestyle.
Secondly there are two gut bacteria that are usually attributed to lean body weight which includes “Akkermansia muciniphila and Christensenella minuta
They are often found in the body’s of slim individuals.
Akkermansia can feed on the mucus that lines your gut, facilitating its
production which helps to keep your intestinal barrier stronger. These microbes can also produce acetate, a short-chain fatty acid that usually aids in body fat stores regulation and appetite, You can also help to boost the activities of the A. muciniphila with prebiotic foods some of which includes the following
Fish oil
Cranberries
Flax seeds
Black tea
Bamboo shoots
Christensenella is also a gut bacteria that has been receiving much popularity in recent years which has been highly linked with weight management, it is also found in the microbiome of lean people, and some scientist has seen it’s potential in the role of preventing obesity which is a global problem, Christensenella is highly dependent on ones genetic make up which actually means that you have a good chance of having these if your relatives possess them too.
NB: Some people do not have these present in their micobiome, which is totally fine, as there are varieties of other vital probiotic bacteria that can help to control your metabolism.
Lets look at some foods that improve or hinder our gut bacteria, primarily our gut bacteria feeds of the food we eat over the long term being, if our diet are high and gut friendly foods our gut bacteria will thrive, on the other hand if our long term diet is filled with processed and sugar added foods our gut bacteria will not be as healthy which can cause problems when we try to lose weight especially being on a calorie deficit( A situation whereby you consume fewer calories than you use daily) .
It is generally advised to follow a diet which is rich in prebiotic, which feeds ones gut bacteria, while probiotic foods contain live micro organisms, that improve your healthy gut bacteria.
Some foods which are high in probiotics are as follows
Aged cheese
Kefir
Kumbucha
Yogurt
Pickles
Kimchi
While foods which are high in prebiotics includes the following
Bananas
Leafy green vegetables
Resistant starches such as potato starches
Seaweed
Veggies such as onions, asparagus, garlics and leeks.
Including more of these prebiotic and probiotic foods in your diet you will help in improving your gut health which will ultimately result in weight loss.
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