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Weight loss is a big issue in health circles these days. Not only is a major concern for the personal health of many individuals, it’s also a problem for the medical community at large. That’s why any new research that could help people lose weight is of such interest to everyone involved. Everyone knows that they have to eat well and exercise to lose weight, but did you know that the microbes that live in your stomach and intestines have a big impact on your weight as well? And if you’re already overweight, these microbes just might be working against your goals. To learn more, and what you can do about it, keep reading.

 

Your Personal Health and Gut Flora 

Your gut is full of tiny microbes known as microbiota. The microbiota in your gut and intestines are made up of a variety of bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa and archaea. This sounds like the recipe for illness, but it’s actually essential for your health and continued functioning. These microbes help keep you alive and healthy by neutralizing harmful chemicals and toxins and destroying attacking bacteria. They also stimulate the digestive process and assist with nutrient absorption. In short, they’re an essential part of your body and your internal processes, and your personal health would suffer markedly without them. Interest in the balance and the processes of these tiny microbes has been on the increase recently, with a number of studies that suggest their essential role in many processes that contribute to your personal health.

 

The Results of Imbalance

The contents and make up of your gut flora is influenced by the food you eat. Everything from medications to poor food choices to excess alcohol can throw off the balance of your gut flora. When this happens it can result in a variety of illnesses such as infections, insulin resistance, obesity, bowel cancer and inflammation. That’s why it’s essential that you have a varied diet and avoid substances that harm your gut flora so that they stay as healthy, diverse and friendly as possible.

 

Exercise and Your Gut Flora

Scientists have known for a while that your gut flora has important implications for your weight. If your gut flora go out of balance it can cause weight gain and obesity, and the type and quality of food you eat has vital implications for that balance. However, a recent study has indicated that exercise may be just as important in altering the composition of your gut microbiota. The study found that exercise alone has the ability to alter gut flora in ways that are beneficial for health and functioning. This research was performed on mice, but it encouraged researchers to apply their findings to human subjects in a second study.

 

How Exercise Affects the Microbiota in Humans

The second study on exercise and gut flora on humans involved 32 participants who were given an exercise program for six weeks. They were instructed to continue their normal diet during this period and to stop exercising after the six week period. The results were startling, and similar to those observed in mice. While exercising, participants enjoyed a change in their gut microbiota which lead to an increase in specific short chain fatty acids that decrease inflammation and benefit overall gut health. Interestingly, the participants who were lean at the start of the study enjoyed a greater increase in these beneficial microbes after exercise than obese participants. This difference suggests that lean participants may have an easier time losing weight through exercise alone. Scientists aren’t yet sure why this difference exists, but are certain that the overall results of the study show that exercise is a pivotal element of gut health and overall wellbeing.

 

What this Means for you

If you’re having trouble losing weight, or keeping it off, it’s vital that you maintain the health of the flora in your gut and intestine. This might seem difficult, after all it’s not as if you can see if your microbes are healthy and varied, but it’s really a matter of eating the right things and building a healthy lifestyle. To keep your gut microbiota healthy, make sure you’re doing the following:

 

• Eat a healthy and varied diet. The more varied and diverse the flora in your stomach, the healthier you’ll be.

 

• Avoid antibiotics and other medications that upset the balance in your stomach.

 

• Consume prebiotics, which are a healthy fiber that promote intestinal health. Prebiotics can be found in foods such as lentils, oats, bananas, leeks, onions, nuts and many different vegetables and fruits.

 

• Restrict your alcohol intake.

 

• Get plenty of sleep

 

• Quit smoking.

 

• Get regular exercise.

 

If you’re concerned about your gut health, or your personal health in general, try our health tracking app HomeLab. This simple little program will help you to perform at home health checks and highlight any threats to your health and wellbeing.

 

 

Tags: personal health, health tracking, health check