The foundation of health lies in the gut. What you put in your mouth and how your GI tract is functioning has a dramatic effect on your well being. Adequate amounts of different species of gut flora are needed to maintain the health and function of the GI tract and the immune system. Would you believe that your gut flora also has a say in whether you’re learn or overweight? Multiple studies indicate that the ratio of levels of the two major groups of bugs in the GI tract, Bacteriodetes and Firmicutes, decide whether you are more likely to be lean or overweight.
Experiments done with mice clearly support this phenomenon. Certain populations of gut flora made mice fat and when these populations of microbiota were introduced into mice that were previously lean, they too became fat! This is a fascinating finding! The guts of the lean mice had a dominant amount of a group of bacteria called Bacteroidetes while the guts of the genetically fat mice were dominated by a group called Firmicutes. Firmicutes are the “fat bugs” and Bacteroidetes are the “skinny bugs.” Additionally, as weight loss occurs, a shift from Firmicutes populations to Bacteroidetes populations was found.
The evidence shows that the Firmicutes populations extract more calories from food than do the Bacteroidetes and play a role in fat storage. Discovering the ratio between these two populations of gut flora may be beneficial in identifying blocking factors in fat loss. Lowering your percentage of “fat bugs” relative to the percentage of “skinny bug” may assist in weight control.
The Metametrix 2100 comprehensive stool analysis includes a section titled Adiposity Index which looks directly at the levels of both Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes flora populations.
Finding cause for and addressing all GI abnormalities found on the test in addition to manipulating the ratio between skinny bugs and fat bugs can drastically improve the likelihood fat loss success. Make no mistake that what you’re putting into your mouth plays a role in what predominate species of bacteria resides in your GI tract. When flora get out of balance due to stress and improper nutrition and lifestyle, the body becomes susceptible to all sorts of diseases including obesity. If you’re fat loss has stalled, consider taking a look into the health of the GI tract to see what’s going on!
Resources
(1)http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7122/abs/4441022a.html
(2)http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7122/abs/nature05414.html
(3) http://www.pnas.org/content/104/3/979.long
(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17183309?dopt=Abstract
(5)http://www.pnas.org/content/101/44/15718.long
