Have you ever wondered why the person sitting next to you can eat twice as much as you, yet is half your weight? For some, weight simply is not an issue.
Ive had a hunch for a long time that these folks were less able to make use of the calories they eat than those who do gain weight. Well, would not you know, scientists say there is now proof of this. And it boils down to the bacteria in your gut.
While I agree the bacteria in your gut have a lot to do with your weight and metabolism, there is more to this than the researchers are seeing. Let me explain.
The researchers did a study where they followed both mice and humans. They showed that obese subjects in both species have more bacteria called firmicute than the lean subjects. Conversely, bacteria called bacteroidetes were more abundant in normal weight subjects.
To find out if these bugs are responsible, the researchers transplanted firmicute microbes from obese mice into thin mice. These mice gained fat twice as fast as controls (mice that did not receive the transplanted microbes). And in people, the firmicute bugs diminished when they lost weight, while the bacteroidetes bugs increased.
The firmicute bugs apparently assist in harvesting calories from complex sugars found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. This process is similar to digestion in ruminating animals. Bacteria in cows digest their grass. The sugars trigger an insulin response, which converts the sugars to fats for storage. The researchers believe people with fewer firmicute and more bacteroidetes stay slim.
When I first read this, it made me wonder what comes first, the weight problem or the bacteria. Whos in control, the bacteria or you? That is important because the American way is a quick fix. Every profit-seeking company will want to jump on a way to reduce your firmicutes and increase the bacteroidetes in a pill.
But the research gives us a hint. Just losing weight causes a shift in bacteria in your gut. So I am inclined to believe that your diet is what sets the stage for the bacteria in your gut. I am sure that you will one day be deluged with ads for capsules chock full of the healthy microbe as a remedy for your obesity. Do not be too fast to jump on it.
I am a strong believer in the terrain theory. That theory holds that its not the bug that causes disease (or obesity). Its the fertility of the terrain of your body to harbor the organism. Cactus wont grow in Alaska, nor will artic blueberries grow in the Mohave Desert.
My hunch is that firmicutes are opportunistic bugs that thrive in a refined carbohydrate-rich environment. Eat lots of refined carbs and they will multiply. Stop the refined carbs and they decline, to be replaced by the bacteroidetes. How do I know this? Ive seen it for years in my patients. I just do not see obesity in people who emphasize raw living foods high in whole fruits and vegetables, low in grains, fats, and refined foods. Id love to see a study analyzing the type of bacteria in these people.
Final comment: If you heard this news in the press and got excited about a quick fix to obesity, now affecting two-thirds of American adults, do not hold your breath. Even if you were to take the magic microbe potion, you must change your diet. Otherwise, you will keep a hostile environment in your gut, making it difficult for the beneficial bugs to return.