Your gut microbiome does amazing things to influence your health and weight
WRITTEN BY: COACH SARA P
It’s safe to say our microbiome (the bacteria, viruses, and other organisms in our body) influences our body weight. How much does it influence it?
Well, that’s a more difficult question to answer. Current research tells us the human body has more bacterial cells than human cells. For example, a 154-pound (70-kg) man has around 40 trillion bacterial cells and only 30 trillion human cells. Mind blown!
Even though some bacteria and viruses cause disease, most often they are trying to keep us healthy and allow us to function at our best. How so? Let’s get gutsy and dive in!
Your microbiome dictates your physiological functions.
The gut microbiome directly or indirectly affects most physiological functions in our body– think nutrient absorption, digestion, vitamin synthesis, body detox, and more. These are all essential physiological processes that your body needs to do on a regular basis. For example, consider everything that happens from the moment you start eating a bowl of fruit to when it “leaves” your body. The bacteria inside your gut heavily influence that process from start to finish.
Just because food is going into your body doesn’t always mean it is getting absorbed into your cells. In fact, the nutrients from that food might actually be used by microbes as fuel for other biological processes. Talk about teamwork!
Your microbiome strengthens your immune system.
Remember growing up and getting hurt, your parents used the phrase: “it’s okay, rub some dirt in it!” Turns out they’re right: Our bodies need a certain degree of exposure to microbes.
Dysbiosis is a term that refers to when you are not living in harmony with the bacteria, viruses, and live organisms inside of you. Ideally, each person is aiming for a balanced state of the microbiome called eubiosis.
Poor gut health has been linked to several diseases and conditions such as IBS, obesity, allergy disorders, autism, certain cancers, and even type 1 diabetes. On the flip side, research has shown healthy guts have been linked to healthy aging and survival.
Your microbiome influences your mental health.
Have you ever had a 'gut instinct" or felt butterflies in your stomach when you’re stressed out? Well, that's not just a feeling, it's science.
Certain types of gut microbes have been shown to influence the likelihood of depression. Other gut bacteria are associated with a higher quality of life (Butyrate-producing Faecalibacterium and Coprococcus bacteria). This speaks to the importance of stress management and how it can impact your weight care journey.
It's a two-way street: Your brain sends signals to your gut and your gut sends signals to your brain. Crazy, right?
Your microbiome produces metabolites and LPS (lipopolysaccharides) all linked to obesity.
Metabolite is an uncommon word that refers to the substances produced during metabolism through digestion or other bodily chemical processes. Typically these metabolites are intermediate or end products of microbial metabolism or modification of host molecules. Your microbiome also produces:
Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SFCAs)
It is not straightforward which SCFAs produce which specific outcomes. However, there is enough evidence to support that SCFAs are important because they improve gut health by maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier, producing mucus, and providing protection against intestinal inflammation—among other important jobs.
In addition, research teaches us that short-chain fatty acids promote body leanness. How so? They prevent fat accumulation in fatty tissue, increase energy expenditure, and produce more hormones that trigger satiety (or a feeling of fullness), which in turn improves weight loss and metabolism.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
Back to the basics of nutrition and biology: Amino acids are the building blocks of all muscle and are vital components of protein synthesis.
There are non-essential amino acids that your body can produce on its own, but other amino acids are essential, meaning you can only get them through your diet. Leucine, isoleucine, and valine are three of the essential amino acids and specifically are known as BCAAs.
Even though they are essential, researchers have noticed that elevated levels of BCAAs are associated with insulin resistance, type II diabetes, and visceral fat (deep fat that typically surrounds organs) accumulation—which are all linked with increased weight. Just like Goldilocks and the three bears, you can’t have too much or too little. You need just the right amount of BCAAs.
TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide)
What is TMAO and where does it come from? Essentially, choline and L-carnitine, found in eggs, red meat, and fish, are precursors to TMAO synthesis. Gut microbes eventually turn choline and L-carnitine into trimethylamine (TMA) which is converted to TMAO in the liver.
Why is that important? Elevated levels of TMAO are associated with people with pre-diabetes, diabetes, and obesity. It’s important to eat a balanced diet and not ingest too much choline and L-carnitine in order to prevent high levels of TMAO.
LPS (lipopolysaccharides)
Rather than being an end product of metabolism, lipopolysaccharides are a structural component of the cell wall.
LPSs are more common in people who have a diet high in fat and/or high in sugar. In fact, high sugar diets can cause metabolic endotoxemia, a metabolic state where LPS is high. This is noteworthy because metabolic endotoxemia leads to inflammation and metabolic dysregulation– think insulin sensitivity, glucose utilization, and glucose storage, which are all common factors of obesity.
The bottom line
There's good news: you can improve your gut health with these lifestyle habits.
1
Eat a fiber-rich, whole foods diet
Your body thrives off of the nutrients, fiber, and polyphenols that whole foods provide.
Set a goal of filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables and aim to eat 30 different types of plants per week because it’s associated with higher microbial diversity.
In addition, be sure to include a variety of colors. Jack Gilbert, a lead researcher on the American Gut Project even stated, “Eat the rainbow. The colors [of fruit and vegetables] are chemicals that feed different types of bacteria.”
2
Avoid added sugar and highly processed foods
These types of foods cause more gut disruptions and lead to decreased microbiome diversity. Not to mention, they are usually calorie-dense and lack nutritional value. Read “How to Eat for a Healthy Gut” for details on what to eat instead!
3
Consume fermented foods in moderation
Several fermented foods have natural probiotics and anti-inflammatory properties, but this doesn’t mean you should start eating yogurt at every meal or chug bottles of kefir and kombucha in between. Moderation is key.
Learn more in our article “Should you take a probiotic?”
4
Get outside and in the dirt
For our microbiome to function, first and foremost, bacteria and viruses need to get into our bodies. The major ways that happen are through water, food, and direct contact with our environment (soil, animals, and other people). Work in your garden, plant some trees or find other ways to get in touch with our Earth.
Take some time to log your meals, movement, and other dailies in the app to track your progress. It gives you time to reflect, and science shows it supports your success.
About Coach Sara P
A native of the Midwest, I have over 6 years of experience as a health coach and fitness specialist. I joined Found to pursue my passion of behavior change and improving the way people treat themselves and their bodies. I earned a degree in Exercise and Wellness from Brigham Young University, and I also have additional certifications as a NASM Behavior Change Specialist and NASM Personal Trainer. When I’m not working, you’ll find me playing sports, whipping up a new recipe with loads of veggies, volunteering at church, or trying to win a board game!
SOURCES
Agus, A., Clément, K., & Sokol, H. (2020). Gut microbiota-derived metabolites as central regulators in metabolic disorders. Gut, 70(6), 1174–1182.
Blaak, E., Canfora, E., Theis, S., Frost, G., Groen, A., Mithieux, G., Nauta, A., Scott, K., Stahl, B., van Harsselaar, J., van Tol, R., Vaughan, E., & Verbeke, K. (2020). Short chain fatty acids in human gut and metabolic health. Beneficial Microbes, 11(5), 411–455.
Blum, W. E., Zechmeister-Boltenstern, S., & Keiblinger, K. M. (2019). Does Soil Contribute to the Human Gut Microbiome? Microorganisms, 7(9), 287.
DeGruttola, A. K., Low, D., Mizoguchi, A., & Mizoguchi, E. (2016). Current Understanding of Dysbiosis in Disease in Human and Animal Models. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 22(5), 1137–1150.
Dehghan, P., Farhangi, M. A., Nikniaz, L., Nikniaz, Z., & Asghari‐Jafarabadi, M. (2020). Gut microbiota‐derived metabolite trimethylamine N‐oxide (TMAO) potentially increases the risk of obesity in adults: An exploratory systematic review and dose‐response meta‐ analysis. Obesity Reviews, 21(5).
Gentile, C. L., & Weir, T. L. (2018). The gut microbiota at the intersection of diet and human health. Science, 362(6416), 776–780.
Gill, P. A., van Zelm, M. C., Muir, J. G., & Gibson, P. R. (2018). Review article: short chain fatty acids as potential therapeutic agents in human gastrointestinal and inflammatory disorders. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 48(1), 15–34.
Hersoug, L. G., Møller, P., & Loft, S. (2018). Role of microbiota-derived lipopolysaccharide in adipose tissue inflammation, adipocyte size and pyroptosis during obesity. Nutrition Research Reviews, 31(2), 153–163.
Larraufie, P., Martin-Gallausiaux, C., Lapaque, N., Dore, J., Gribble, F. M., Reimann, F., & Blottiere, H. M. (2018). SCFAs strongly stimulate PYY production in human enteroendocrine cells. Scientific Reports, 8(1).
Lavelle, A., & Sokol, H. (2020). Gut microbiota-derived metabolites as key actors in inflammatory bowel disease. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 17(4), 223–237.
Macia, L., Thorburn, A. N., Binge, L. C., Marino, E., Rogers, K. E., Maslowski, K. M., Vieira, A. T., Kranich, J., & Mackay, C. R. (2011). Microbial influences on epithelial integrity and immune function as a basis for inflammatory diseases. Immunological Reviews, 245(1), 164–176.
McDonald, D., Hyde, E., Debelius, J. W., Morton, J. T., Gonzalez, A., Ackermann, G., Aksenov, A. A., Behsaz, B., Brennan, C., Chen, Y., DeRight Goldasich, L., Dorrestein, P. C., Dunn, R. R., Fahimipour, A. K., Gaffney, J., Gilbert, J. A., Gogul, G., Green, J. L., Hugenholtz, P., . . . Gunderson, B. (2018). American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research. mSystems, 3(3).
Neuman, H., & Koren, O. (2015, August 20). The Gut Microbiome. Science Direct.
Satokari, R. (2020). High Intake of Sugar and the Balance between Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Gut Bacteria. Nutrients, 12(5), 1348.
Sender, R., Fuchs, S., & Milo, R. (2016). Revised Estimates for the Number of Human and Bacteria Cells in the Body. PLOS Biology, 14(8), e1002533.
Shan, Z., Sun, T., Huang, H., Chen, S., Chen, L., Luo, C., Yang, W., Yang, X., Yao, P., Cheng, J., Hu, F. B., & Liu, L. (2017). Association between microbiota-dependent metabolite trimethylamine- N -oxide and type 2 diabetes. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, ajcn157107.
Shreiner, A. B., Kao, J. Y., & Young, V. B. (2015). The gut microbiome in health and in disease. Current Opinion in Gastroenterology, 31(1), 69–75.
Valles-Colomer, M., Falony, G., Darzi, Y., Tigchelaar, E. F., Wang, J., Tito, R. Y., Schiweck, C., Kurilshikov, A., Joossens, M., Wijmenga, C., Claes, S., van Oudenhove, L., Zhernakova, A., Vieira-Silva, S., & Raes, J. (2019). The neuroactive potential of the human gut microbiota in quality of life and depression. Nature Microbiology, 4(4), 623–632.
Wilmanski, T., Diener, C., Rappaport, N., Patwardhan, S., Wiedrick, J., Lapidus, J., Earls, J. C., Zimmer, A., Glusman, G., Robinson, M., Yurkovich, J. T., Kado, D. M., Cauley, J. A., Zmuda, J., Lane, N. E., Magis, A. T., Lovejoy, J. C., Hood, L., Gibbons, S. M., . . . Price, N. D. (2021). Gut microbiome pattern reflects healthy ageing and predicts survival in humans. Nature Metabolism, 3(2), 274–286.
Zhang, S., Zeng, X., Ren, M., Mao, X., & Qiao, S. (2017). Novel metabolic and physiological functions of branched chain amino acids: a review. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, 8(1).
Zhuang, R., Ge, X., Han, L., Yu, P., Gong, X., Meng, Q., Zhang, Y., Fan, H., Zheng, L., Liu, Z., & Zhou, X. (2019). Gut microbe–generated metabolite trimethylamine N ‐oxide and the risk of diabetes: A systematic review and dose‐response meta‐analysis. Obesity Reviews, 20(6), 883–894.