Can you lose weight with a healthy gut?

LifePharm, makers of Laminine and DIGESTIVE+++ claims that its microbes are beneficial to weight management and metabolism. The Metabolic syndrome is the condition that often precedes blood glucose imbalance and includes fat accumulation at the waistline. Many children, teens, young people, baby boomers, and seniors are finding it difficult to keep the tummy area slim and are accumulating very unhealthy fat. Although we know eating a high fat or Western diet is not good for us, microbiologists are finding out information that may help us.

A study reported in Nature Medicine (2006) addressed the observation that certain microflora could actually make us fat.1 The study showed that “obese” mice and “slim” mice had different populations of gut bacteria. Study results indicated that a certain type of microbe in the gut may have caused their obesity. 1

Beneficial Microbes May Help with Appetite Control, Sugar and Fat Metabolism

Scientists stated, “Manipulation of gut microbiota through probiotics [beneficial microbes] could reduce intestinal low grade inflammation and improve gut barrier integrity, thus ameliorating metabolic balance and promoting weight loss.” Gut microbiota appears to affect energy absorption, gut motility, appetite, glucose and lipid metabolism and fat storage in the liver.

As this science unfolds, deciphering the complex microbiology of the human body is creating much excitement and new information! To some extent, we may blame the microbes, not just poor eating habits and slacking off on regular exercise, for some of our excess weight!

Altered Gut Environment

“Studies on the intestinal bacteriome are revealing significant variations in gut microbiota between obese and non-obese animals and humans. These variations may cause a greater amount of caloric extraction from indigested dietary substances, which may increase body weight even when caloric intake does not increase.”

It’s known that certain bacteria living in the gut do have an impact on weight gain and obesity. The study argues that because our meat consumption is much higher today than it was just a few decades ago, we could be unwittingly altering the environment of our guts. This seems like a fair assertion given the fact that many of these animal products are pumped full of hormones, antibiotics, and steroids. Another factor mentioned in the study was our increased consumption of artificial sweeteners and refined, processed foods in recent years. (Source: Collective Evolution)

Characteristics of Microbes in DIGESTIVE+++

Microbes used in typical probiotic dietary supplements are very fragile and a small percentage are alive at the end of their shelf life. Many species of microbes in dietary supplements need to be freeze dried and specially processed to keep them viable during handling, storage and to help maintain their usability in the intestines.

DIGESTIVE+++ contains the active microbe, Bacillus coagulans, which was renamed from Lactobacillus sporogenes in 1957 because of different properties as compared to other lactic acid producing Lactobacillus microbes. It reproduces by forming little capsules called spores, which have a stronger cell-wall type structure. They are stable at room temperature and remain viable during handling and for the duration of their shelf life.

Studies showed Bacillus coagulans is eliminated from the GI tract about seven days after supplementation, so it is important to take DIGESTIVE+++ regularly for continual benefits. DIGESTIVE+++ also contains a full range of basic enzymes, which promote more complete digestion and assimilation of the nutrients from foods. Because prebiotics (fructooligosaccharides) have specific chemistry, digestive enzymes do not break them down.

Active Ingredients
DIGESTIVE+++ contains a true (FOS) Prebiotic formula of Fructooligosaccharides, and FOS from Jerusalem artichocke, dandelion leaves, yacon root.

Bottomline

DIGESTIVE+++ blend contains enzymes that break down proteins, carbohydrates and fats. These enzymes are formulated to function at the pH ranges throughout the GI tract. Proper digestion is one of the most important things your body can accomplish and taking DIGESTIVE+++ will help do that, but so will other cheaper brands of probiotic supplements.

Over the last 15 years, microbiologists have performed studies determining additional, important functions of beneficial microbes and prebiotic foods. This symbiotic partnership between our bodies and an optimal microbial ecosystem may help support proper weight management and metabolism.

References:
1. Charlotte Schubert. Microbes plump up mice. Nature Medicine 2006,12,737
2. 2. Festi D, Schiumerini R, Eusebi L H, Giovanni M, Taddia M, Colecchia A. Gut microbiota and metabolic syndrome. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2014 Nov. 21:20 (43):16079-16094.
3. 3. Gibson GR, Roberfroid MB. Dietary Modulation of the Human Colonic Microbiota: Introducing the Concept of Prebiotics. Journal of Nutrition, 1995, 125:1401-1412.
4. 4. Sandra Tavares da Silva, Carolina Araujo dos Santos and Josefina Bressan. Intestinal microbiota; relevance to obesity and modulation by prebiotics and probiotics. Nutricion Hospitalaria 2013;28 (4): 1039-1048.
5. 5. Nakamura Y, Natsume M, Yasuda A et al. Fructooligosaccharides suppress high-fat diet induced fat accumulation in C57BL/6J mice. Biofactors. 2011,Jun14.