Germs: how to increase them to lose weight more easily
The involvement of germs in many diseases, including obesity, is becoming more and more clear! Studies that testify to this multiply. An imbalance in the gut flora will have an effect on weight gain. Is it possible to correct the situation? If the answer is yes, then how?
Also called the gut microbiota, it differs from one individual to another. "We can compare them to a stock of internal fingerprints, explains Dr. Michel Braque* of the Ellasanté Center in Paris. They form throughout life, but the first germs that will be the basis of the 'adult' microbiome are the mother, during childbirth by natural means, and then during breastfeeding (particularly during lactation). first from
colostrum), and then continues to evolve according to meetings and food. Geographical origin and environment are also important.” The first twelve years will also be essential for acquiring a good microbiota. “It interferes from the first months of life with the maturation of the immune system and is probably well regulated already by the age of three,” adds Arnaud Kokol, Dietitian*.
What do germs do?
It collects nearly 100,000 billion microorganisms, including bacteria, that are at the heart of the digestive process. Dr. Michel Braque explains: “They protect the intestinal wall from harmful substances and toxins that food brings, and some have the task of permanently repairing the damage
caused by toxins and pollutants we absorb. Others help digest substances that we cannot process ourselves.. Some bacteria are also known to be They manufacture essential elements such as vitamins K, B9 and B12. Discoveries follow each other, bearing witness day in and day out to the multiple roles that microorganisms play. Their good health truly impacts our overall health.”
Search update
"The latest studies relate to the immune system, metabolism in general, as well as the distribution of good and bad fats, and thus our weight balance," recalls Michel Braque. Experiments dating back to the early 2000s revealed that by transplanting obese mice microbiota onto thin mice without a microbiota
(because they were raised in a sterile environment), we see the latter grow larger within 15 days, without adjusting their diet. A sudden increase in weight leads to various inflammatory reactions and disruption of dialogue with other organs. Conversely, obese mice “equipped” with the microbes of thin mice lose weight and fat mass quickly.
More recently, work in Danish and French populations has shown that 20-40% of adults who are overweight or obese have poorly diverse microbiomes. However, according to numerous studies, an imbalance of the intestinal flora can negatively affect the production of hormones from fat cells (fat cells) and thus contribute to chronic inflammation and fat storage in adipose tissue. Microbial depletion is also thought to disrupt bacteria that interfere with the production of hormones that regulate hunger. The immediate result, an unbridled appetite and then a preference for excessive consumption of calories.
We diversify and treat it!
In general, our microbiota is already depleted in quantity and quality with age. But many other factors also attack it at any time of life: diseases and infections, especially when it is low grade, i.e. almost silent, environmental toxins, antibiotics, but also stress and bad eating habits.
To combat all this, it is extremely important to give the beneficial bacteria in our gut everything they need to eat! We now know they love fiber and water-soluble or insoluble antioxidants. On the other hand, they hate saturated fatty acids. The right paths to restoring good plants...
we prefer
Soluble fiber is essential for feeding microorganisms. To do a good job, you should consume around 30 grams per day. Data from the American Gut Project demonstrate that weekly consumption of more than 30 diverse foods of plant origin is associated with a greater diversity of gut flora.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, with special mention for those with prebiotic activity (which promote the growth of certain microorganisms): leeks, asparagus, artichokes, parsnips, onions, garlic, and bananas.
Whole grains (bread, oats, rice) and legumes (lentils, chickpeas, broad beans, dried beans).
Dried fruits (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds), flax seeds.
Omega-3, as these fatty acids support the growth of beneficial bacteria. It is found mainly in oily fish (salmon, sardines, herring), rapeseed, flax, and camelina oil.
Polyphenols, which help maintain the impermeability of the intestinal barrier, and prevent toxins from crossing it and spreading in the body. Red berries, pomegranate, red apple, black grapes, green tea, soybeans, cocoa.
Probiotics, these strains or organisms provided by certain foods, that feed these famous good bacteria. The use of probiotics to enrich microorganisms is a developed strategy that appears very promising in the fight against obesity. The best known are lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which are found in milk-fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi (vegetable or cabbage), miso and tempeh (soy). Sugars (including lactose and fructose) and those who deprive themselves of it, sometimes out of intolerance, unfortunately risk modifying their plants and suffer from imbalances.
we go down
Saturated fats, fatty meats, cheese, fried foods, pastries, and chocolate (except for dark chocolate that is low in fat and sugar).
Certain oils such as soybean, corn, sunflower, grapeseed, walnut, and soybean oils, which are very rich in omega-6 and very low in omega-3.
The fast sugars found in soft drinks, desserts, white bread, potatoes, white pasta, white flour, and white rice (especially sushi and risotto rice), due to their high glycemic index.
Processed foods, because the preservatives they contain are not valued at all by the bacteria in the germs nor the adipocytes. You should also be wary of emulsifiers that are in many ready-made meals, as they affect the "barrier" function of microbes.
Testing your own microorganisms, a good idea?
Many specialized companies now offer diagnostic tests, but they are still very expensive. If we lack hindsight to know the specific areas in which these tests are really useful, many professionals nevertheless agree that they help diagnose potential microbial depletion and certain imbalances. It is also a control tool that makes it possible to check the appropriateness of the adopted strategy during processing.
Are probiotics in capsules good for the line?
Michel Braque explains: “Studies that will make it possible to supply everyone with the good bacteria they need are precisely underway. The accepted rule so far has been to select groups of 4 or 5 different strains containing at least Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus Lactobacillus plantarum strains, it appears that Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei already shows efficacy in the treatment of obesity, hyperlipidemia, and associated metabolic disorders.”
Does stool culture work?
"This process, which consists in implanting a microbiota of a healthy subject in the small intestine of a sick person, as Arnaud Cocaul describes, is permissible and is practiced only in France in the case of recurrence of Clostridium difficile colitis, a pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacterium that causes severe diarrhea." Is this also a new way to treat obesity? In the future I will tell.