Post by shellie on Apr 24, 2014 11:53:56 GMT
This is a link to an article I found (thanks to a dear friend) regarding probiotics and weight loss
fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2014/01/17/probiotics-weight-management.aspx
An exert from that article
Bacteria Can Affect Your Food Cravings, and Weight Loss Success
According to the most recent study, a strain of friendly bacteria called Lactobacillus rhamnosus also appears to be quite helpful for weight loss in women.4 As reported in the featured article:
"The controlled clinical trial was set up so that the first 12 weeks women were guided to eat less food and some were additionally given the Lactobacillus rhamnosus. After 12 weeks the amount of weight loss was greater in the group receiving the friendly flora supplement.
Over the next 12 weeks the dietary restrictions were lifted, and the friendly flora was continued. Those women not taking Lactobacillus rhamnosus now gained weight, whereas the friendly flora group continued to lose weight. The weight loss benefit was linked to measurements of the bacterial profile of the digestive tract. This study is the latest to show that the balance of power in the digestive tract is a metabolic variable of high importance and nothing to ignore as part of a long-term successful weight loss plan."
As it relates to weight management, one hypothesis states that your gut bacteria may in fact be in control of your appetite. Recent research5 suggests there's a positive-feedback loop between the foods you crave and the composition of the microbiota in your gut that depend on those nutrients for their survival. Microbes that thrive on sugar, for example, can signal your brain to eat more sweets. Other studies6,7 have shown that certain bacteria found in your gut can produce insulin resistance and weight gain by triggering chronic low-grade inflammation in your body. Three such culprits include:
Endotoxin-producing Enterobacter8
Staphylococcus aureus9 (an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria)
The human adenovirus-36 (a cause of respiratory infections and pinkeye)
Yet another recent study revealed that a breath test of the gases given off by your gut bacteria might actually be able to predict your likelihood of becoming obese. The study found that people with high levels of hydrogen and methane in their breath are more likely to have a higher body-mass index (BMI) and proportion of body fat.10 This, the researchers believe, may be because the related gut bacteria influence your body's ability to extract calories from food, leading to weight gain.
Diet and Lifestyle Dos and Don'ts
Granted, I don't see any point in waiting for such confirmations. The fundamentals are already quite well understood, and include a rather concise list of dos and don'ts. When it comes to diet, you want to eat mostly whole, fresh, unadulterated foods, taking pains to avoid sugars and processed/pasteurized and genetically engineered foods of all kinds. Add to that a healthy amount of traditionally fermented foods each day and you're off to a good start.
A strong case can be made for eating organic to protect your gut flora as agricultural chemicals take a heavy toll on beneficial microbes—both in the soil in which the food is grown, and in your body. Glyphosate (Roundup), used in particularly hefty amounts on genetically engineered crops, appears to be among the worst of the most widely used chemicals in food production. As for general lifestyle advice, you'll want to avoid well-known culprits that kill beneficial bacteria, such as:
Antibiotics (also note that most store-bought beef typically comes from cattle raised with antibiotics. To avoid getting a low dose of antibiotics in every piece of meat you eat, make sure your meat is grass-fed and finished)
Chlorinated water
Antibacterial soap
Pollution
fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2014/01/17/probiotics-weight-management.aspx
An exert from that article
Bacteria Can Affect Your Food Cravings, and Weight Loss Success
According to the most recent study, a strain of friendly bacteria called Lactobacillus rhamnosus also appears to be quite helpful for weight loss in women.4 As reported in the featured article:
"The controlled clinical trial was set up so that the first 12 weeks women were guided to eat less food and some were additionally given the Lactobacillus rhamnosus. After 12 weeks the amount of weight loss was greater in the group receiving the friendly flora supplement.
Over the next 12 weeks the dietary restrictions were lifted, and the friendly flora was continued. Those women not taking Lactobacillus rhamnosus now gained weight, whereas the friendly flora group continued to lose weight. The weight loss benefit was linked to measurements of the bacterial profile of the digestive tract. This study is the latest to show that the balance of power in the digestive tract is a metabolic variable of high importance and nothing to ignore as part of a long-term successful weight loss plan."
As it relates to weight management, one hypothesis states that your gut bacteria may in fact be in control of your appetite. Recent research5 suggests there's a positive-feedback loop between the foods you crave and the composition of the microbiota in your gut that depend on those nutrients for their survival. Microbes that thrive on sugar, for example, can signal your brain to eat more sweets. Other studies6,7 have shown that certain bacteria found in your gut can produce insulin resistance and weight gain by triggering chronic low-grade inflammation in your body. Three such culprits include:
Endotoxin-producing Enterobacter8
Staphylococcus aureus9 (an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria)
The human adenovirus-36 (a cause of respiratory infections and pinkeye)
Yet another recent study revealed that a breath test of the gases given off by your gut bacteria might actually be able to predict your likelihood of becoming obese. The study found that people with high levels of hydrogen and methane in their breath are more likely to have a higher body-mass index (BMI) and proportion of body fat.10 This, the researchers believe, may be because the related gut bacteria influence your body's ability to extract calories from food, leading to weight gain.
Diet and Lifestyle Dos and Don'ts
Granted, I don't see any point in waiting for such confirmations. The fundamentals are already quite well understood, and include a rather concise list of dos and don'ts. When it comes to diet, you want to eat mostly whole, fresh, unadulterated foods, taking pains to avoid sugars and processed/pasteurized and genetically engineered foods of all kinds. Add to that a healthy amount of traditionally fermented foods each day and you're off to a good start.
A strong case can be made for eating organic to protect your gut flora as agricultural chemicals take a heavy toll on beneficial microbes—both in the soil in which the food is grown, and in your body. Glyphosate (Roundup), used in particularly hefty amounts on genetically engineered crops, appears to be among the worst of the most widely used chemicals in food production. As for general lifestyle advice, you'll want to avoid well-known culprits that kill beneficial bacteria, such as:
Antibiotics (also note that most store-bought beef typically comes from cattle raised with antibiotics. To avoid getting a low dose of antibiotics in every piece of meat you eat, make sure your meat is grass-fed and finished)
Chlorinated water
Antibacterial soap
Pollution
