The Gut Microbiome and Its Role in Obesity

Abstract

The human body is host to a vast number of microbes, including bacterial, fungal and protozoal microoganisms, which together constitute our microbiota. Evidence is emerging that the intestinal microbiome is intrinsically linked with overall health, including obesity risk. Obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders are characterized by specific alterations in the composition and function of the human gut microbiome. Mechanistic studies have indicated that the gastrointestinal microbiota can influence both sides of the energy balance equation; namely, as a factor influencing energy utilization from the diet and as a factor that influences host genes that regulate energy expenditure and storage. Moreover, its composition is not fixed and can be influenced by several dietary components. This fact raises the attractive possibility that manipulating the gut microbiota could facilitate weight loss or prevent obesity in humans. Emerging as possible strategies for obesity prevention and/or treatment are targeting the microbiota, in order to restore or modulate its composition through the consumption of live bacteria (probiotics), nondigestible or limited digestible food constituents such as oligosaccharides (prebiotics), or both (synbiotics), or even fecal transplants.

Possible Kefir Biological Effects: 4: Effect of Kefir Beverage on The Histopathological and Macroscopical Changes in Adipose Tissue of High Fat-Fed STZ- Induced Diabetic Male Wistar Rat

“…There is increasing evidence that the gut microbiome has a causal role in obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders because of its influence on genes that regulate lipid metabolism, energy utilization, and storage (Davis, 2016).…”

Arabinoxylan from Argentinian whole wheat flour promote the growth of Lactobacillus reuteri and Bifidobacterium breve

“…The development of prebiotic therapies has become an interesting strategy for the amelioration of dysbiosis associated with several diseases. The modulation of beneficial bacteria can result in a regulatory effect not only locally but also at the immunological or neuroendocrine levels (Davis ; Salvucci ; Sarkar et al . ).…”

“…The development of prebiotic therapies has become an interesting strategy for the amelioration of dysbiosis associated with several diseases. The modulation of beneficial bacteria can result in a regulatory effect not only locally but also at the immunological or neuroendocrine levels Letters in Applied Microbiology 68, 142--148 © 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology (Davis 2016;Salvucci 2016;Sarkar et al 2016). Moreover, it impacts on the central nervous system, modifying levels of neurotransmitters and neurotrophins (Zhou and Foster 2015;Bindemann and Ali 2018).…”

Knockout of the non-essential gene SUGCT creates diet-linked, age-related microbiome disbalance with a diabetes-like metabolic syndrome phenotype

“…There is growing evidence that beside environmental factors, genetic control shapes host-gut microbiota interactions [43,59], which partially explains the emerging contribution of the microbiome to the onset of obesity [60,61]. Until now, the GA3 disease has been poorly understood, underdiagnosed and in the majority of cases untreated.…”