Maintain a Healthy Weight by Managing Your Gut Health
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Did you know that trillions of microbes (e.g., bacteria, fungi, viruses, and others) are living in your gut? The collection of all microbes living in your gut (i.e., intestines) is called gut microbiome. Everyone has a different gut microbiome ecosystem, which helps you digest food, fight disease, and influence your metabolism. It also helps to manage your weight!
Do overweight individuals have a different gut microbiome?
Yes, it was found that overweight or obese individuals usually have a higher Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio—meaning more Firmicutes compared to Bacteroidetes. This imbalance is linked to obesity, while the opposite (low Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio) is associated with conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Maintaining the right balance between these two groups is key for managing weight and overall metabolic health, which is why understanding your gut microbiome through testing can be so valuable.
How to manage weight with gut microbiome?
Let’s call Firmicutes “Obesity Bacteria” in this article for easier understanding. Overweight individuals often have a less diverse gut microbiome and a higher ratio of Obesity Bacteria. Managing weight is about restoring balance and improving diversity through the right food choices and lifestyle habits.
Now the question is, how do we do this?
The primary fuel for your gut microbiome is the food that you eat. Therefore, by changing what you eat, you could change your gut microbiome and reduce weight in the long term.
Here are 4 simple food choices you could try!
1. Eat an apple a day
Researchers found that apples have ‘non-absorbable procyanidins’, which helps reduce the ratio of Obesity Bacteria in mice. Apples also increase the proportion of beneficial gut microbes. If you are not a big fan of apples, you can also eat grapes and cranberries for similar effect.
2. Increase your fiber intake
Include whole grains, fresh fruit, and vegetables such as purple sweet potato in your everyday meal. These foods have high fiber and will help to regulate your gut microbiome, stabilize your intestinal barrier, suppress intestinal inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and lower the risk of fat accumulation and obesity.
3. Choose healthy fats
Salmon and mackerel, which are oily fish, have abundant omega-3 fatty acids which are considered healthy fats. Walnuts and flaxseeds also have healthy fat, which positively impacts your gut microbiome and helps to manage your weight.
4. Try fermented foods
Fermented foods such as tempeh, a traditional Indonesian fermented soybean cake, can also improve your gut health. Research shows that the polyphenols in tempeh increase the proposition of beneficial gut microbes if you eat them over a prolonged time.
Understanding your gut microbiome can offer valuable insights into your overall wellness—including how it may affect your digestion, immunity, and even weight.
With AMILI’s gut microbiome test, you’ll receive a personalized report and a doctor consultation to help you make informed lifestyle choices.
As a Manulife customer, you also get an exclusive 20% discount. Just check out the My Rewards section in your ManulifeMOVE dashboard to learn how to redeem your discount.
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References:
1. Costantini, L., Molinari, R., Farinon, B., & Merendino, N. (2017). Impact of omega-3 fatty acids on the gut microbiota. In International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Vol. 18, Issue 12). MDPI AG. 2. Masumoto, S., Terao, A., Yamamoto, Y., Mukai, T., Miura, T., & Shoji, T. (2016). Non-absorbable apple procyanidins prevent obesity associated with gut microbial and metabolomic changes. Scientific Reports, 6(1), 1–10. 3. Holmes, Z. C., Silverman, J. D., Dressman, H. K., Wei, Z., Dallow, E. P., Armstrong, S. C., Seed, P. C., Rawls, J. F., & David, L. A. (2020). Short-chain fatty acid production by gut microbiota from children with obesity differs according to prebiotic choice and bacterial community composition. MBio, 11(4), 1–15. 4. Stephanie, Kartawidjajaputra, F., Silo, W., Yogiara, Y., & Suwanto, A. (2019). Tempeh consumption enhanced beneficial bacteria in the human gut. Food Research, 3(1), 57–63. 5. Zhang, N., Ju, Z., & Zuo, T. (2018). Time for food: The impact of diet on gut microbiota and human health. In Nutrition (Vols. 51–52, pp. 80–85). Elsevier Inc.
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