(NaturalHealth365)  Have you ever seen “those people,” the type who seem to lose weight with virtually no real effort on their part?  They cut back a few calories, and the weight just seems to melt away.  They make it look so easy, right?

Well, while some have that annoyingly almost magic metabolism, for the rest of us, there are other things at play that can work for just about anyone – and it focuses on the type of bacteria residing in the gut.

Research published by the American Society for Microbiology shows that the type of gut microbiome a person has in their body significantly impacts their ability to lose weight.  Certain compositions of microbiome can help weight loss, or it can cause resistance to losing weight.  This opens up new possibilities for achieving more effective weight loss by altering the gut microbiome.

Differences in microbiome composition may explain why some lose weight faster than others, study finds

The study spanned a year and followed individuals who participated in a wellness program that incorporated both advice from a nurse or dietitian and lifestyle coaching.  The participants provided the results from various medical testing such as blood collection, stool collection, data from dietary food frequency questionnaires, and anthropometric data.  This was done through self-reporting by online assessment, anonymous data collected from authorized sources, or the Fitbit Aria scale.

Researchers then analyzed the collected information with a focus on the 15 participants who experienced the most significant reduction in weight and the 10 participants who lost the least amount of weight.

The finding showed that the participants who lost the most weight experienced an increase in certain gut microbiome genes that are integral in aiding the growth of bacteria and its ability to multiply and assemble cell walls.  The team specifically focused on the higher growth rates of Bacteroidetes and how they affect weight.  Participants who lost the most weight had higher Bacteroidetes growth rates and more of the genes, while the participants who did not lose as much weight had lower Bacteroidetes growth rates and fewer of those specific genes.

New research shines a light on gut bacteria-weight loss connection

The researchers theorize that gut bacteria growing slower may give the body more time to absorb sugar from foods consumed.  By contrast, gut bacteria that grows faster may limit the time the body is exposed to or has access to the sugar from foods consumed, so it has less time to absorb it.

Doctors and researchers have long been aware that obese people have a different composition of gut bacteria than people who are not obese.  Still, this study provides insight into the specific set of genes encoded in the gut bacteria that responds to interventions designed to bring about weight loss.  The gut microbiome is a significant factor in the modulation of the success of weight-loss interventions.

This study is just the beginning of ongoing research that fosters a deeper understanding of weight loss, obesity, and gut health.  With this new research shedding light on how gut bacteria might influence a person’s attempts to lose weight, there’s more to come.  The next steps are to explore further how lifestyle interacts with the gut microbiota to help people lose weight.  This could include developing probiotics that help prevent weight gain while promoting gut health.

One thing is for sure, scientists are paving the way for a better understanding of managing the obesity epidemic as well as improving overall health and wellness.

Sources for this article include:

LifeExtension.com
Journals.ASM.org