Gut Check: All You Need to Know about Gut Health and Weight Loss
The Obesity Pandemic?
According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023, more than half of Malaysians are either overweight or obese.
Nearly half?! Yes. 54.4% of Malaysians, to be exact. We are the second most obese country in Southeast Asia, right behind Brunei.?
The statistics may seem daunting and scary at first glance, but they start to make sense when we delve deeper into the lifestyle and habits of Malaysians. We need more fibre; only 4.9% of Malaysian adults eat enough fruits and vegetables every day.?
Moreover, 29.9% (nearly one-third of the population) lead a sedentary lifestyle.
What is Classified as Obese or Overweight?
According to the Malaysian Clinical Practice Guidelines, adults with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 23.0 kg/m2 are classified as overweight, and adults with a BMI ≥27.5 kg/m2 are classified as obese.?
Abdominal and visceral fat are more accurate predictors of overall health, including heart disease; compared to BMI.?
Waist circumference can also predict visceral fat. The cut-off point is >90 cm in men and >80 cm in women.
What is Gut Bacteria?
In actual fact, there are trillions of bacteria living on our skin and in our bodies.?
There is an estimated whopping amount of 40 trillion bacteria cells living in and on a 70 kg man.?
A large part of these bacteria actually live in our caecum, which is the first part of our large intestine.?
Gut bacteria are bacteria that live in our large and small intestines. Along with fungi, viruses, and even parasites, they form the gut microbiome.?
Feel the hairs at the back of your neck stand?
Fret not, these tiny microbes actually benefit us. They are there to help our bodies digest food, build our immune system and keep us healthy.
Why is Gut Health So Important?
Gut health has been an increasing topic of discussion.?
Exciting research has revealed that gut health significantly influences our overall well-being, including weight loss, mood, digestion, and even cancer risk.
In recent years, studies have found that poor gut health is linked to various medical conditions including?
Scientists and researchers are continuing to explore the connection between gut health and its potential role in triggering various diseases.
Research has revealed that the genes in our gut bacteria vastly outnumber our own, with estimates suggesting there are 250 to 800 times more!
These bacterial genes produce substances that travel into our bloodstream and influence our body’s chemistry
This further highlights just how crucial gut health is for our overall well-being.
How Does Gut Health Affect Our Weight?
As food enters our digestive system, it gets broken down.?
Nutrients get absorbed into our body, and the remaining bit gets excreted as waste. Gut bacteria help to break down food. Also,? it determines what food gets absorbed and stored in the body.?
How Our Gut Microbiome Affects Weight Loss
Gut bacteria diversity actually plays a crucial role in helping us achieve our weight loss goals.?
A fascinating study done amongst 77 pairs of twins, where one twin had obesity and the other without, showed a vast difference in the types of gut bacteria between the two.?
One might assume that twins would share similar types of gut bacteria since they were more likely to be genetically identical, right? That’s incorrect.
More importantly, obesity was linked to reduced diversity of gut bacteria, which means that there was a decrease in the variety of bacterial types present in the gut.
There was even a study done on lab mice. In this study, gut bacteria from obese people were transferred into this group of mice. Needless to say, these mice gained weight and put on fat.?
These studies further fuel the question: Is managing obesity more complex than simply “eat less, move more”??
Are we too quick to blame obese individuals for their perceived lack of self-control when, in reality, factors like gut health may play a significant role?
We are What We Eat
Now that research has established that gut health diversity does affect our weight, what now??
Our diet can vastly affect the diversity of our gut microbiome.?
Gut Bacteria?
Prevotella is a type of gut bacteria that successfully digests fibre, as our bodies are unable to break them down. This type of gut bacteria also aids in digesting carbohydrates.
Those who consume more fat and animal protein have a larger number of Bacteroidetes, another type of gut bacteria.?
An interesting study found that those with larger amounts of Prevotella in their intestines lost more weight (2.3 kg more to be exact) than those with a larger amount of Bacteroidetes in their gut.?
Prevotella is also associated with lower levels of insulin, which lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity.?
Our gut bacteria help us digest flavonoids, which are antioxidants that can keep us from gaining weight. The types and amounts of gut bacteria we have also play a role in how our bodies absorb and store dietary fats.
The foods we consume can influence our gut microbiome, which in turn impacts our ability to lose or gain weight.
How Poor Eating Habits Fuel Inflammation
An unhealthy diet can cause inflammation in our body.?
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Foods to Avoid?
Malaysia is a food haven, and it is certainly possible to consume delicious and healthy foods!
Steer clear of heavily processed foods, and opt for diets that are low in sugars, sodium, artificial sweeteners, and saturated or trans fats.
An unhealthy diet reduces the diversity of gut bacteria, which can lead to an unhealthy and persistent state of inflammation, as well as insulin resistance and weight gain.
What Happens When We Eat Unhealthy?
In consuming an unhealthy diet, certain gut bacteria will produce an endotoxin known as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). It is absorbed into our bloodstream and can cause inflammation.?
Another study found that people who were overweight had lower diversity in gut bacteria and elevated C-reactive protein levels, which is a marker of inflammation.
Inflammation can cause us to gain weight, which can increase our risk of developing insulin resistance—a condition where the cells in our body cannot properly absorb and utilise glucose in our bloodstream. Insulin resistance also predisposes us to developing diabetes and obesity.
Gut bacteria are also linked to our hunger levels and appetite, which influences weight loss and gain.
Do I Have a Healthy Gut?
Here are some signs of an unhealthy gut:
You have symptoms like bloating, diarrhoea, constipation and heartburn.
You find it difficult to digest certain foods and/or have food intolerances.?
Poor gut health is associated with sleep disturbances, which in turn leads to chronic fatigue and feeling lethargic throughout the day.?
Skin conditions like psoriasis are associated with gut health.?
Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are possible telltale signs of an imbalance in our gut microbiome.
The Best Foods for Gut Health?
Now that we understand how important it is to eat a healthy, balanced diet, what nutritious foods should we add to our meals?
Focus on foods that are rich in fibre. This increases the different types of gut bacteria, which can aid in weight loss. They are also rich in antioxidants, and micronutrients like vitamins and minerals.?
Beyond that, loading up on yummy fibre will reduce the risk of haemorrhoids, constipation, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and even cancer.?
They are also rich in fibre and are digested by Bifidobacteria, a type of gut bacteria which helps with weight loss.??
Some options include legumes, red, brown and wild rice, quinoa, barley
They contain probiotics, which increase the diversity of gut bacteria, thus improving your gut health.?
Kimchi, yoghurt, kefir, tempeh and miso are some healthy options to choose from.??
Polyphenols are compounds that are rich in antioxidants and cannot be broken down by our bodies.?
Rather, it is broken down by gut bacteria in our body and encourages the growth of good gut bacteria which is also associated with weight loss.?
Food sources include dark chocolate, red wine, and green tea.?
Studies have found that garlic increases gut bacteria diversity.?
Healthy fats reduce inflammation in our bodies, promote heart health, and prevent high blood pressure and narrowing and hardening of the walls of blood vessels known as arteries.
Healthy fat sources include omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in fatty fish; nuts, canola and olive oil as well as avocado.
A Healthy Gut, Happy Life
A healthy gut is crucial not just for overall well-being but also for achieving weight loss and preventing obesity.?
Consuming a balanced diet rich in nutrients plays a vital role in cultivating a diverse and healthy gut microbiome, supporting these health goals effectively.
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