We are not all equal when it comes to obesity: this is the conclusion of two studies which have just been published simultaneously in the journal Nature. Conducted by the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), these studies made it possible to distinguish for the first time, within a population, people with low or high levels of income. intestinal flora (also called intestinal microbiota) and to show that this difference has consequences on the development of obesity and certain diseases linked to overweight.
The first study conducted by the international MetaHIT consortium involved a cohort of 292 Danish adults comprising 123 non-obese and 169 obese people. The researchers analyzed their intestinal bacterial genome and noticed that these two groups were distinguished by the richness or the poverty of bacteria in their intestinal flora. In people low in bacteria, 8 specific bacterial species were in low abundance or even missing. “These species could have a protective role against weight gain. This discovery could ultimately lead to the development of new probiotics to fight against weight gain ”explain the INRA researchers.
The second study conducted by the French consortium MicroObes, involving a cohort of 49 obese or overweight French adults, confirms the results of the first study. But the study of French patients also focused on the impact that a diet high in protein and fiber (and low in calories) could have on the diversity of the gut microbiota. After 6 weeks of the diet, the people in the study not only lost weight and fat, but also increased the number of bacteria found in the intestinal flora. “The way is open not only to the diagnosis of individuals at risk but also to intervention through adapted nutritional recommendations” underline the researchers who believe that these two studies will pave the way for preventive medicine. chronic diseases linked to obesity.
