Introducing our Gut Health Canvas
In this series, we dive into the links between the gut and various aspects of our mental and physical health.
Physical Health: Weight Loss

How does microbiome support weight loss?
- Your gut bacteria can protect you against obesity: Certain intestinal microbes like Akkermansia muciniphila and Bifidobacterium activate immune cells that reduce the gut’s absorption of lipids.
- 🐭 Bad bacteria also exist: A study by Kawano et al. (2022) found that a high-fat and high-sugar diet fuelled the growth of Faecalibaculum rodentium, which killed off immune-regulating bacteria.
Microbiome and metabolic regulation
- Maintaining a balanced gut microbiome is crucial for metabolic regulation.
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Keep it low: Lactobacillus plantarum metabolises dietary unsaturated fatty acids into saturated fats, which are associated with an increased risk of obesity and heart disease.
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More is better: Lactobacillus salivarius and Lactobacillus gasseri produce 10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid via linoleic acid hydroxylation, which improves obesity, increases GLP-1 secretion (which helps to curb hunger), and improves glucose metabolism.
Small changes, big impact for obesity
- The human gut microbiota mostly comprises two dominant bacterial phyla, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, that represent more than 90% of the total community. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio is thus an important influence in maintaining normal intestinal homeostasis.
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Firmicutes, due to their negative influence on glucose and fat metabolism, are commonly referred to as bad gut microbes. Bacteroidetes metabolize carbohydrates, providing nutrition and vitamins to us and other bacteria.
- 👨 Gut microbiota and obesity are linked: Obese individuals were found to have more Firmicutes and nearly 90% less Bacteroidetes than lean individuals.
- 👨 In a controlled feeding study by Wu et al. (2011), gut microbial changes occurred within 24 hours of initiating a high-fat/low-fiber or a low-fat/high fiber diet — this shows that the slightest changes in our diet impact the gut!
👨 Research done in humans
🐭 Research done in mice
Sources:
Amamabebe et al. 2020Kawano et al. 2022Fujisaka et al. 2023Hassan et al. 2022
Magne et al. 2020
Wu et al. 2011