Gut microbiota plasticity is correlated with sustained weight loss on a low-carb or low-fat dietary intervention

Abstract

While low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets can both lead to weight-loss, a substantial variability in achieved long-term outcomes exists among obese but otherwise healthy adults. We examined the hypothesis that structural differences in the gut microbiota explain a portion of variability in weight-loss using two cohorts of obese adults enrolled in the Diet Intervention Examining The Factors Interacting with Treatment Success (DIETFITS) study. A total of 161 pre-diet fecal samples were sequenced from a discovery cohort (n = 66) and 106 from a validation cohort (n = 56). An additional 157 fecal samples were sequenced from the discovery cohort after 10 weeks of dietary intervention. We found no specific bacterial signatures associated with weight loss that were consistent across both cohorts. However, the gut microbiota plasticity (i.e. variability), was correlated with long-term (12-month) weight loss in a diet-dependent manner; on the low-fat diet subjects with higher pre-diet daily plasticity had higher sustained weight loss, whereas on the low-carbohydrate diet those with higher plasticity over 10 weeks of dieting had higher 12-month weight loss. Our findings suggest the potential importance of gut microbiota plasticity for sustained weight-loss. We highlight the advantages of evaluating kinetic trends and assessing reproducibility in studies of the gut microbiota.

Daily supplementation with the Lab4P probiotic consortium induces significant weight loss in overweight adults

“…In the early stages of the study all participants lost or maintained weight (except one in the placebo group) with greater percentage weight losses in www.nature.com/scientificreports/ the active group. A weight loss of ≥ 3% (considered "successful" weight loss by Grembi et al 14 ) was achieved by 17/35 active group participants and 0/35 placebo group participants after 3 months supplementation (49% vs. 0% respectively, p < 0.0001, Figs. 3d, 4).…”

“…Recent meta-analyses report that body weight reductions have been achieved in short-term probiotic intervention studies (averaging 2 months) in overweight/ obese particpants [11][12][13] . It is considered that a 3% reduction in bodyweight over a 6-12 month period represents successful weight loss 14 whilst current clinical guidelines state that a 5% reduction is required to illicit significant improvements in health 15 .…”

Impact of Extreme Obesity and Diet‐Induced Weight Loss on the Fecal Metabolome and Gut Microbiota

“…[ 58 ] Similarly, a recent study in humans suggested a potential link between gut microbiota plasticity and sustained weight loss. [ 59 ]…”

Does Postoperative Oral and Intestinal Microbiota Correlate with the Weight-Loss Following Bariatric Surgery?—A Cohort Study

“…A previous study by Grembi et al highlighted the importance of microbiota plasticity (defined as variability in the structure and composition of the microbiota measured by β-diversity metrics) in sustained weight-loss [37]. Our study, however, assessed the composition of microbiota from a static standpoint, rather than assess changing trends in biodiversity.…”