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Gut Bacteria Mix Predicts Obesity

baby, infant, gutThe types of bacteria in a baby’s gut may determine their risk of being overweight or obese later in life, according to Finnish researchers.

After analyzing fecal samples from 49 infants, 25 of whom were overweight or obese by the age of 7, they found that babies with high numbers of bifidobacteria and low numbers of Staphylococcus aureus appeared to be protected from excess weight gain.

On average, the bifidobacteria counts taken at 6 months and 12 months were twice as high in healthy weight children than in those who became overweight, while S. Aureus levels were lower.

The researchers suggested that S. aureus may cause low-grade inflammation in your body, which could contribute to obesity. Further, the findings may help explain why breast-fed babies are at a lower risk of obesity, as bifidobacteria flourish in the guts of breast-fed babies.

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Dr. Mercola''s Comments Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Inside your gut is a living ecosystem, full of good bacteria (probiotics) and, yes, bad bacteria that play a major role in your physical and even mental health. Yet, until recently, most doctors dismissed the notion that your digestive system -- including the 100 trillion bacteria in your gut -- did much of anything outside of breaking down a bit of food.

Well, this could not be further from the truth.

Your Gut is Home to Your Second “Brain”

You’ve heard of following your “gut instinct”? That feeling deep in your stomach that tells you through a sixth sense to stay away, think twice, or seize the moment? This feeling comes from the second brain in your gut otherwise known as your enteric nervous system (ENS).

The gut/brain connection has long been recognized as a tenet of physiology and medicine, but neurobiologist Michael Gershon, M.D. is credited with discovering the ENS, which is actually a network of neurotransmitters, neurons, and proteins that line your esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon. Gershon called the ENS “brainlike in its complexity,” no doubt partly because your gut contains 100 million neurons, which is about the same number in your brain.

The job of your enteric nervous system is to keep your digestion running smoothly. But rest assured it is intricately connected to the other workings of your body as well. This is why when you’re nervous, you’re likely to feel “butterflies in your stomach,” and when you’re emotionally upset, you may feel sick to your stomach.

Your second brain also plays a major role in your emotional health, as over 95 percent of one of your most important neurotransmitters, serotonin, is made in your gut, NOT in your brain. Serotonin has a calming effect on your digestive tract, and it also helps to send messages from your gut to your brain. This chemical also plays a role in mental health, including depression and anxiety, which is why if your gut is imbalanced, your brain, and therefore your emotions, may also be off kilter.

Is Your Gut Bacteria Making You Fat?

The microflora in your digestive system is also emerging as a major player in weight management. As the above study showed, a baby’s gut bacteria is linked to his or her future weight, and babies that are given the best start nutritionally by being breastfed also tend to have intestinal microflora in which bifidobacteria predominate over potentially harmful bacteria.

One Washington University professor likened the functioning of this gut microflora in your body to that of an ant farm that works together as an intelligence to perform an array of functions you're unable to manage on your own.

One of those chores includes extracting calories from the foods you eat, so the microflora in your gut may play a key role in obesity.

Multiple studies have shown that obese people have different intestinal bacteria than slim people, and it appears that the microbes in an overweight body are much more efficient at extracting calories from food.

Have You Heard of Infectobesity?

Taking the gut bacteria/obesity connection one step further is the relatively new term “infectobesity,” which suggests that obesity may be caused by a virus or other disease-causing organism.

For instance, the human adenovirus-36 (Ad-36) -- a cause of respiratory infections and pinkeye -- may be a contributing factor to obesity, as it’s been found to transform adult stem cells into fat cells that are capable of storing additional fat.

Infectobesity is a very plausible theory, and it is certainly possible that there are significant viral causes underlying many cases of obesity. However, please don’t take this to mean that losing weight is out of your control, or something that can only be done using an anti-viral medication.

This theory actually further supports the importance of balancing out the bacteria in your gut, because what is the most important thing you need to fight off a viral infection? The foods you eat and the ones you avoid, and the integrity of your immune system are two important ones.

Experts believe about 70 percent of your immune system is located in or around your digestive system.

And if your digestive system is crawling with unhealthy bacteria, there’s a good chance that your immune system will be suppressed as a result.

So it seems all roads lead back to this one central premise: optimizing your gut bacteria is essential for your good health.

How to Optimize the Bacteria in Your Gut

The good news is that positively influencing the bacteria growing in your body is relatively easy. One of the most important steps you can take is to stop consuming sugary foods. When you eat a healthy diet that is low in sugars and processed foods one of the major benefits is that it causes the good bacteria in your gut to flourish and build up a major defense against the bad bacteria getting a foothold on your health.

This is one of the many reasons I highly recommend reducing, with the plan of eliminating, sugars and most grains from your diet.

Yet, even with an extremely low-sugar diet, there are other factors that influence your gut bacteria. Antibiotics, chlorinated water, antibacterial soap, agricultural chemicals, pollution -- all of these things help to kill off your good bacteria. Which is why it’s a wise choice to “reseed” your body with good bacteria from time to time by taking a high-quality probiotic supplement or eating fermented foods.

Keep in mind, of course, that if you or your children need to lose some excess weight, balancing your gut bacteria is only one part of the equation. Regular exercise and addressing any emotional blocks are also very important.


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Comment on This Article Community Comments (38)
 
 
Posted On Mar 11, 2008
Seeing this article proves to me the importance of staying away from anti-biotics, and any drug that destroys your gut bacteria!  In the rare occasion a child might need an anti-biotic, make sure you restore the gut with a good probiotic!

 
curlilox
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 8/2007
curlilox  
Replied

ZPE
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 2/2008
ZPE  
 
Posted On Mar 11, 2008
Exactly!

And I wonder how many of the antibiotic prescribing 'doctors' tell their patients (or parents) to have a dose of pro-biotics when they have finished the antibiotic course?

I guess that most of us know the answer to this...


curlilox
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 8/2007
curlilox  
 
Posted On Mar 11, 2008
ZPE,
The doctors in our neck of the woods don't say anything.  If cornered about it, they will recommend eating a little yogurt from the grocery store, which is worse than doing nothing!  The sugar and GMO's in the yogurt will counteract any positive effects of the good bacteria (if they're even still alive!)


qualitygeek
Savvy User Savvy User Joined On 10/2007
qualitygeek  
 
Posted On Mar 11, 2008
my childhood doc used to tell my mom to have me eat yogurt after taking anti-biotics...that was not a problem...mama couldn't keep yogurt in the house while I lived at home...


HansMassage_203
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 6/2006
HansMassage_203  
 
Posted On Mar 30, 2008

I was caring for a family's injuries from an automobile accident.  There infant daughter was a frequent suffering bacterial ear infections.  She was prescribed an oral liquid antibiotic which was to be given in the morning on an empty stomach.   I explained what was happening to the beneficial bacteria in her gut and how this made her immune system less protective against the infections. We came up with a plan that after the required time fallowing the antibiotic just before eating she would take the probiotic. [small enteric coated]

When I returned the next week the mother commented on the improved condition.  No ear ache, increased energy and eczema that she had suffered with for years was gone and skin was like a baby again.

Hans Albert Quistorff, LMP

Antalgic  Posture Pain Specialist


 
 
 
Posted On Mar 10, 2008
I breast fed all three of my babies and they all got really cute and fat!!  Of course, they did all slim down after age 2.  This article shows again how important pro-biotics are for all around health.

 
SpartyOn
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 6/2006
SpartyOn  
 
 
 
Posted On Mar 10, 2008
There is a difference between being fat and being obese,  Most people expect babies to be "chunky" because they know they are going to be doing a lot of growing in the next 2 years and need the energy.  But this was a generally good article, Probiotics are important, but you need them in the proper balance.

Mary

 
mmc88121
Moderator User Moderator User, Joined On 11/2006
mmc88121  
 
 
 
Posted On Mar 25, 2008

For everyone who thinks fat people are fat because they've made bad choices their whole life, you are all completely right.  However, bad choices were only made because of government and medical recommendation.  Fat people are always dieting, always trying to lose weight, just in the wrong way, which then makes it worse and makes it even harder.  I started off as a slightly pudgy kid and ended up an obese adult even though my mom always followed doctors orders, in our house we only had diet sodas, crackers, lean fish and chicken breast, and all fat free everything else.  Never butter.  They even took me to dieticians several times who would then put me on 800 calorie a day, high carb, no fat diets and of course I would lose weight, but then gain it all back and plus some.  Then as an adult I still struggled to lose weight on these horrible diets, which only made me get fatter and fatter.  So, as a child, teenager, and adult, was it really my fault that I was fat??  Eventually, when I stopped listening to doctors and did my own diet, higher cal, higher fat, low carb, I quickly dropped 100+ lbs and have kept it off for years.  I still have some weight to lose and am doing  it on a candida diet (and exercise of course.)  

So fat people are fat because government and doctors keep them fat by giving horrible advice which leads them to make bad choices.  

As far as my 11 month old baby goes, he is on a raw milk formula, eats avocados, sweet potatoes and rice (occasionally,) fruit, some meat and chicken, raw cream, butter, olive oil, egg yolks, liver,  and takes a great probiotic.  I will always keep him on a low carb, high fat, all natural diet so he won't end up the way I did.  Unfortunately, I noticed most parents start their babies on grains and juices and sugary foods, but are terrified of giving butter and then switch them to pasteurized fat free milk at 2 years old (doctor recommendation.)  So of course there are so many obese children.  


 
vida khan
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 6/2006
vida khan  
 
 
 
Posted On Mar 13, 2008
I took a probiotic supplement, before during and between both pregnancies and while I was breastfeeding. (I have a two and a half year old, and I am 6 months pregnant with my second).  I have not taken antibiotics for at least five years.

My oldest breastfed exclusively until 18 months, then tapered until he was two (and yes, I did  promptly get pregnant thereafter).   He is just the healthiest kid.  He has never been sick!  Not a single cold, flu or ear infection!  I marvel at how blessed we are when I see parents who have chronically ill children.

I do attribute my child's health to the presence of healthy bacteria in both of our bodies protecting our respective immune systems (in addition to a generally healthy lifestyle, we limit our exposure to toxic chemicals in our home, and try to avoid hormones, excitotoxins and other super baddies.  We aren't perfect, but do our best to be diligent).

 
Robin M.
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 8/2006
Robin M.  
 
 
 
 
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