People whose intestinal flora is poor in bacteria have a greater risk of developing diseases linked to obesity. A discovery that opens the door to new anti-weight gain treatments.
The intestinal flora has been underestimated. For a long time, it was thought that the bacteria found in the digestive tract only played a role in digestion. Research continues to show that the impact of the gut microbiota on our health is much greater than we imagined. Two studies published in the journal Nature on August 29 highlight the role of intestinal flora in obesity.
A first study carried out on 292 obese and non-obese Danes, reveals that a quarter of individuals had poor intestinal flora. Eight species of bacteria were missing or present in low amounts in this group of people. In addition to this reduced diversity in bacteria, these individuals had a greater risk of developing metabolic diseases such as diabetes, but also cardiovascular, hepatic and even cancer problems. “80% of these individuals poor in bacteria were obese,” stresses Stanislas Dusko-Ehrlich, director of research at INRA, coordinator of studies published in Nature. And we found that these same people, even though they were not obese, gained more weight than those with rich gut flora. This is the first time that such a distinction has been highlighted in the population.
Rich in bacteria = low in kilos
A second study carried out in 49 obese or overweight French people reached the same result. Two groups of individuals stand out: those who have a poor microbiota in bacteria and those who have a rich intestinal flora. The “poor” present the same risk factors as the Danes and six species of bacteria particularly representative of these communities make it possible to detect groups at risk, with an accuracy of 95%.
Listen to Stanislas Dusko-Ehrlich, research director at Inra:“The French and the Danes do not eat the same way and yet we find the same proportion of people whose microbiota is poor in bacteria. “
After having identified this segment of the population at risk of developing metabolic diseases, thanks to a simple test that is the stool analysis, the researchers wanted to know if it was possible to reduce these risks. The 49 French people included in the study therefore followed a diet rich in fiber and fruits and vegetables for twelve weeks. Result: “It was surprising and unexpected, but their intestinal flora improved by 20 to 25% and their biochemical parameters indicating that they were at risk of developing chronic diseases also improved,” explains the INRA researcher. . After 12 weeks, their flora was not as rich as that of the other group, the markers of inflammation have not changed but it is already formidable ”.
Anti-weight gain bacteria
These results arouse great enthusiasm on the part of researchers. Admittedly, the miracle solution to fight against obesity and metabolic diseases has not yet been found, but this better knowledge of the intestinal flora opens up therapeutic horizons. For Stanislas Dusko-Ehrlich, “these bacteria which are not very present in a quarter of the population clearly protect against weight gain. We can therefore consider in the future to try to develop treatments based on these bacteria which would be used as probiotics ”. Another possible step forward is to have a stool analysis test carried out on a routine basis to identify people at risk. “By spotting them early, when the microbiome is not yet too damaged, it may be possible to regenerate it by implementing simple dietary advice”, hopes the INRA researcher.
Listen to Stanislas Dusko-Ehrlich :“We can simply identify individuals at risk of developing these diseases and reduce the risks to which they are exposed. You don’t find that great! ”
This preventive medicine represents a major stake since it could participate in the fight against the obesity epidemic which will affect more than 700 million people in 2015 and, therefore, the causes are obviously not only genetic.
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