The Surprising Connection Between Gut Health and Weight Loss
Did you know that gut health is linked to weight loss? Really, it’s true. Taking care of your gut is a crucial step on the path to overall wellness. It’s time to dive into the fascinating relationship between gut health and weight loss, and how you can optimize your gut for better results.
The Role of Gut Health:
Our physical and mental health is dependent on our dietary intake and the manipulations that are done on that food by our gut microbiota. Our gut microbiota plays a role in digestion, nutrient conversion, absorption, detoxification and so much more. Research has also found that the makeup of diversity is based on the diets we eat. The composition will change drastically during a switch to a new diet. That’s the good news.
What do Studies show:
Recent studies found that the baseline gut microbiota(fancy name for the gut bug zoo inside you) outperformed any other factor in predicting individual weight loss. Also, it is good to know that as weight loss happened there were changes of abundance in certain strains of gut bugs. They also found that obese individuals have the smallest variety of gut bacteria. They have a higher amount of the Firmicutes types of bacteria which is thought to cause weight gain by sucking more calories out of food, digesting the complex sugars that the other bacteria can’t, and converting them to simple sugars and fatty acids that end up back in the bloodstream.
Akkermansia:
A new front runner in the weight loss category of bacteria is a bacteria called Akkermansia, which was extremely low in those who struggled to lose weight and those who were obese. It was much higher in lean individuals. Akkermansia has been found to help heal a leaky gut by thickening the mucosal lining and help increase metabolism and weight loss.
The Energy Balance Factor:
This information doesn’t negate the importance of the energy balance when trying to maintain or lose weight. However, gut health introduces another layer to this equation. By optimizing our gut health, we can either increase the rate at which we burn calories or reduce the number of calories absorbed from our food. This will help us achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
How to Improve Gut Health:
Now that we understand the connection, how do we improve our gut health?
- Eat a diverse diet: Eating a wide variety of whole foods, including leafy greens and a range of other nutrient-rich options helps feed all the strains and maintain balance in your gut.
- Probiotics: If you need additional help in repopulating your gut, use a probiotic. Look for a few probiotics with a variety of strains and rotate the different ones every 30 days to maximize diversity. Do not take the same probiotic for long periods of time.
- Cut out added sugar and processed foods. Added sugar and processed foods feed the certain bacteria in your gut that we don’t want large amounts of. By not supplying their food it helps reduce those populations.
- Eat akkermansia rich foods. If you struggle with weight loss and/or if you suspect a leaky gut, seek out foods that feed akkermansia which help with gut lining repair and metabolism. Foods rich in polyphenols, like red, blue, and purple produce, will support the growth of akkermansia.
- Add fermented foods regularly to your diet. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, and kombucha are excellent for diversifying your gut microbiome. They outperform increased fiber intake in promoting gut health and even boosting immune function. Remember, if you’re new to fermented foods, start small to avoid digestive discomfort.
To Wrap it up:
Our bodies are complex. It’s time to look at them holistically, from top to bottom, for more effective and sustainable results. Take care of your gut, and it will take care of you. Work on diversifying your gut to help ease weight loss. It’s not a magic solution, but it’s definitely a piece of the puzzle. Anything to make the journey easier and healthier right? Start diversifying your diet, exploring probiotics, and adding fermented foods to your meals. Your body will thank you!
