With the recent surge of life on hold, most of us have not been eating and exercising like we should be.
The perfect storm of sitting around home, eating for comfort and maintaining strange sleep schedules has many of us wishing we could shed some pounds and start feeling a bit better.
What we fail to realize is that simply cutting calories will not do it for many of us. Our bodies are functioning while imbalanced, and this affects all aspects of our health, including our ability to lose weight.
So in this article we’ll look at how gut health affects weight loss by examining what the microbiome is, 2 factors that play into weight gain/weight loss and if leaky gut causes weight loss.
The microbiome: Overall health and wellness regulator
You have trillions of bacteria living in your body at any given time–some are regarded as good, others are detrimental to our health. It is simply not possible to rid ourselves of every living organism that lives within our bodies, so it is essential that we maintain a good balance of good vs. “bad” bacteria in order to be considered in a state of good health.
Your microbiome is its own biosphere within your body—it is responsible for the breakdown of food, for regulating the immune system, and for regulating cellular assimilation and detoxification processes—all very lofty goals for something that we know so little about.
Keeping the microbiome in good health is vital to our overall health and wellness, and it is when we see imbalance and unrest within the gut that disease begins to manifest and weight piles on.
Medical researchers and scientists are now beginning to see clear connections between the health of the gut and the health of the brain; it appears that these two systems of the body talk to each other. Studies show that equilibrium in the gut helps to balance chemicals in the brain that are responsible for emotional regulation; what you eat can affect how you think and feel.
How gut health affects weight loss
Unhealthy signals coming from your imbalanced gut may result in a misinterpretation somewhere in central command–the brain. Your brain and gut have an intimate connection through the pituitary gland, which is responsible for regulating hormones that trigger hunger and satiety, may misinform you on the next steps that are needed at mealtime. As a result, you may be triggered to eat more than you would normally eat, or to reach for food choices that are not the healthiest foods to consume.
Gut health can also influence weight due to the fact that cellular detoxification processes cannot be as efficient with an imbalance of gut flora. When your body is full of additional toxins, it cannot efficiently flush out waste, fluids, and fat that are not needed for metabolic process. You store all of this extra gook in the form of body fat, which is difficult to lose. The more toxic your microbiome is, the more difficult it will be to lose or to maintain a healthy weight.
Factors that play into weight gain/weight loss
If you were wondering how gut health affects weight loss, consider the fact that the influence of gut bacteria is far reaching. Over a 2 dozen feet of intestines form a pathway through your digestive system, and each inch of that digestive wall is covered with bacteria.
The fact of the matter is, your gut plays a significant role in your overall health and wellness–consider its effects as you contemplate getting your “house” in order:
1. Gut bacteria affects how your food is digested
Gut bacteria come into contact with the food that you ingest, and this plays a critical role in the nutrients that are allowed to be absorbed by the body. Studies have shown that a diverse microbiome—one with several different types of bacteria all performing different functions—lends itself well to weight management, while microbiomes that have fewer variations and strands of bacteria make gaining weight a possibility.
Certain types of bacteria can promote the absorption of fiber, which helps to keep your digestive system running cleaner and you a bit leaner. Other types of bacteria make it difficult for the body to process antioxidants, which can result in gaining a few extra pounds, no matter how hard you may be working out in the gym.
Discovering a bit more about the microbiome and its critical role in overall health will uncover deficiencies that you can correct in pursuit of a leaner waistline.
2. Gut health affects your level of inflammation in the body
Inflammation is the body’s response to fighting infections and disease. It is a normal process, but it can quickly spiral out of control if given the wrong nutritional tools to work with.
Bacteria strains such as lipopolysaccharide can cause additional inflammation when introduced to cells, causing imbalances in blood sugar and insulin levels and creating a condition called insulin resistance. As a result, people with elevated levels of LPS in the blood have a tendency to gain weight.
Other strains, such as bifidobacteria, help to keep the blood/gut barrier strong, reducing inflammation and helping to promote weight loss. With so many types of bacteria and no way to assess the health of your gut than to look at outer symptoms and ponder diet choices, it seems that we need to pay more attention to how we look and feel as indicators of whether our flora is in a state of equilibrium or not.
Does leaky gut cause weight loss?
Many people wonder, does leaky gut cause weight loss? In fact, the opposite is true. Leaky gut syndrome occurs when the intestinal wall becomes damaged due to poor diet, a reaction to medications, or even excessive stress. Harmful toxins, undigested food, and other substances poisonous to the circulatory system leak out and cause damage to all systems of the body, making it difficult to lose weight. Other signs of leaky gut syndrome and intestinal inflammation are:
- Digestive issues
- Emotional imbalances
- Chronic fatigue
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Weakened immunity
- Food intolerance and allergies
- Autoimmune disease
- Hormonal imbalance
- Skin disorders
It is possible to heal leaky gut syndrome and gain control over your weight by eating the right foods and detoxifying your body properly. Foods that benefit the gut bacteria include fresh produce, nuts, seeds, polyphenol rich foods, fermented foods, and probiotics.
Foods to avoid while trying to regain balance in the gut are sugary and overly processed foods, alcohol, and foods containing unhealthy fats.
Do your part to clean up your diet, manage stress, and return to a state of balance and good health once more.
Healthy gut, healthy weight
Maintaining a healthy gut is critical for your health, and it’s also one of the most significant things you can do to manage your weight. Commit to making dietary changes, maintaining an active lifestyle, and looking forward to better health and better numbers on the scale as well.
Disclaimers
I am not a doctor and do not recommend anything on this site, or blog post, for anyone without consulting with their doctor first. Please read the privacy policy for more information.
The information in this article is for educational and entertainment reasons, it should not be interpreted as medical advice or as a recommendation for a specific treatment. Always talk to your doctor and in the event of a medical emergency one should seek the help of a qualified and licensed health care provider.
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