Feb. 22, 2024 — Injectable weight reduction medicine like Wegovy, Saxenda, and Zepbound have been getting all of the glory recently, however they’re not for everybody. When you’re seeking to drop just a few kilos or stop weight problems, analysis suggests there’s one other manner. It may not produce outcomes as dramatic as common injections, however you will get every little thing you want in a grocery retailer for much much less cash — and this strategy has the potential to enhance your well being in quite a few methods. 

In concept, all you need to do is increase your intestine microbiome.

“There are numerous various factors naturally in weight acquire and weight reduction, so the intestine microbiome is definitely not the one factor,” stated Chris Damman, MD, a gastroenterologist on the College of Washington. He research how meals and the microbiome have an effect on your well being. “With that caveat, it in all probability is taking part in an vital function.”

Trillions of Microbes

The concept your intestine is house to an infinite vary of tiny organisms — microbes — has existed for greater than 100 years, however solely within the twenty first century have scientists had the power to delve into specifics. 

We now know you need a strong assortment of microbes in your intestine, particularly within the decrease intestine, your colon. They feast on fiber from the meals you eat and switch it into substances your physique wants. These substances ship alerts throughout your physique. 

When you don’t have sufficient microbes or have too lots of the flawed sorts, it influences these alerts, which might result in well being issues. Over the past 20 years, analysis has linked issues within the intestine microbiome to all kinds of circumstances, together with inflammatory bowel illness, autoimmune illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis, metabolic ones like diabetes, and heart problems, bronchial asthma, and even autism.

Thanks to those efforts, we all know rather a lot in regards to the interactions between your intestine and the remainder of your physique, however we don’t know precisely how many issues occur — whether or not some teeny critters inside your microbiome trigger the problems or vice versa. 

“That is the issue with a lot of the microbiome stuff,” stated Elizabeth Hohmann, MD, a doctor investigator on the Massachusetts Common Analysis Institute. “Olympic athletes have a greater intestine microbiome than most individuals. Effectively, certain they do — as a result of they’re taking note of their food regimen, they’re getting sufficient relaxation. Correlation doesn’t causation make.” 

The American Food plan Messes With Your Intestine

When you’re a typical American, you eat numerous ultra-processed meals — manufactured with a protracted components record that features components or preservatives. In accordance with one examine, these meals make up 73% of our meals provide. That may have a severe affect on intestine well being.

“While you course of a meals and mill it, it turns a complete meals into tiny particles,” Damman stated. “That makes the meals extremely digestible. However for those who eat a stalk of broccoli, a considerable amount of that broccoli within the type of fiber and different issues will make its option to your decrease intestine, the place it’ll feed microbes.” 

With closely processed meals, then again, most of it will get digested earlier than it might attain your decrease intestine, which leaves your microbes with out the power they should survive. 

Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, PhD, is director of the Biodesign Middle for Well being By way of Microbiomes at Arizona State College. Her lab has finished analysis into how microbes use the undigested meals that reaches your intestine. She describes the issue with processed meals this fashion: 

“Take into consideration a Coke. While you drink it, all of the sugar goes to your bloodstream, and the microbes in your intestine don’t even know you’ve had it. As an alternative of consuming a Coke, for those who eat an apple or one thing with fiber, some will go to you and a few to the microbes. You’re feeding them, giving them power.”

Weight and Your Intestine Microbiome 

The hyperlink between intestine well being and physique weight has acquired numerous consideration. Analysis has proven, for instance, that individuals with weight problems have much less variety of their intestine microbiome, and sure particular micro organism have been linked to weight problems. In animal research, transplanting intestine microbes from overweight mice to “germ-free” mice led these GF mice to achieve weight. This implies extra weight is, in actual fact, attributable to sure microbes, however up to now there’s scant proof that the identical is true with people.

Krajmalnik-Brown’s group did an experiment during which that they had folks observe two completely different diets for 23 days every, with a break in between. Each supplied comparable quantities of energy and macronutrients every day, however through completely different meals. The examine’s typical Western menu featured processed meals — suppose grape juice, sandwiches made with deli turkey and white bread, and spaghetti with jarred sauce and floor beef. The opposite menu, what researchers referred to as a “microbiome enhancer food regimen,” included meals like complete fruit, veggie sandwiches on multigrain buns, and steak with a facet of complete wheat spaghetti. 

Whereas the examine wasn’t designed for weight reduction, an attention-grabbing factor occurred when researchers analyzed members’ bowel actions.

“We discovered that once you feed topics a food regimen designed to offer extra power to the microbes and to not the [body], our topics misplaced slightly weight,” Krajmalnik-Brown stated. “It appears like by feeding your microbes, it appears to make folks more healthy and probably even lose slightly.”

One other attainable mechanism includes the identical hormone that powers these injectable weight reduction medicine. The decrease a part of your intestine makes hormones that inform your entire intestine to decelerate and likewise assist orchestrate metabolism and urge for food. Amongst them is GLP-1. The medicine use an artificial model, semaglutide or tirzepatide, to set off the identical impact. 

In accordance with Damman, you possibly can stimulate your intestine to make these useful hormones with the meals you eat — by giving your microbes the suitable gasoline.

Eat to Feed Your Microbes

The meals you eat can have an effect on your intestine microbiome, and so your weight. However don’t go in search of that one good ingredient, consultants warn. 

“Oftentimes we get this micro-focus, is that this a great meals or a nasty meals?” warned Katie Chapmon, a registered dietitian whose apply focuses on intestine well being. “You simply need to be sure that your microbiome is strong and wholesome, so it communicates that your physique is operating, you’ve received it.”

As an alternative, attempt to give your physique extra of the sorts of meals analysis has proven can feed your microbiome, lots of that are plant-based. “These are the issues which might be largely taken out throughout processing,” Damman stated. He calls them the “4 Fs”:

  • Fiber: While you eat fiber-rich meals like fruits, greens, complete grains, nuts, and beans, your physique can’t digest the fiber whereas it’s within the higher components of your GI tract. It passes via to your decrease intestine, the place wholesome micro organism ferment it. That produces short-chain fatty acids, which ship alerts all through your physique, together with ones associated to urge for food and feeling full.
  • Phenols: Phenolic compounds are antioxidants that give plant-based meals their coloration — once you discuss consuming the rainbow, you’re speaking about phenols. The microbes in your intestine feed on them, too. “My aim for a meal is 5 distinct colours on the plate,” Chapmon stated. “That rounds out the bases for the completely different polyphenols.”
  • Fermented meals: You will get a special form of well being profit by consuming meals that’s already fermented — like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, yogurt, miso, tempeh, and kombucha. Fermentation could make the phenols in meals extra accessible to your physique. Plus, every mouthful introduces good micro organism into your physique, a few of which make it right down to your intestine. The micro organism which might be already there feed on these new strains, which helps to extend the variety of your microbiome. 
  • Wholesome fat: Right here, it’s not a lot about feeding the nice micro organism in your microbiome. Damman says that omega-3 fatty acids, present in fatty fish, canola oil, some nuts, and different meals, lower irritation within the lining of your intestine. Plus, wholesome fats sources like extra-virgin olive oil and avocados are stuffed with phenols.

Consuming for intestine well being isn’t a magic bullet when it comes to weight reduction. However the advantages of a wholesome intestine go far past shedding just a few kilos.

“I believe we have to try for well being, not weight reduction.” Krajmalnik-Brown stated. “Maintain your intestine wholesome and your microbes wholesome, and that ought to finally result in a wholesome weight. You’ll make your microbes glad, and your microbes do rather a lot in your well being.”



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