How to Lose Weight & Which Gut Bacteria Might Make It Difficult

The health and wellness circles have given many people false hopes with fake answers for how to lose weight. From zapping abs with a belt to the war on eating eggs to the celery juice diet, people have tried it all. While some of these supposed weight loss hacks work for some, others achieve little to no results.

There are three important things that you can do to support healthy weight management. Two of them we already know. Those are exercise and diet. Sure, we’ll touch on that in this post, but we’re also going to analyze the science behind gut bacteria and weight loss a little closer. Let’s take a look at how to lose weight in a healthy, active, and fun way!

Try a targeted probiotic for healthy weight management. Get 20% off on Amazon only. Be sure to click to apply the coupon for 20% off Metabolic Booster at checkout. 

Is Obesity Genetic?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about one-third of the global population is considered overweight 1. Yes, that’s a shocking statistic. However, it’s also important in understanding how to lose weight.

Many of us feel that obesity is genetic. You’re not wrong for believing that. Research supports this theory.

Obesity and Genetics

One analysis looking at obesity and genetics found,

“The development of obesity has an evident environmental contribution, but as shown by heritability estimates of 40% to 70%, a genetic susceptibility component is also needed 2.”

– Curr Diab Rep.

That conclusion brings forth two eyebrow-raising facts. For one, heredity plays a 40% to 70% role in obesity.

Therefore, for some, genetics is the highest contributing factor to their weight problems.

The analysis noted that genetic codes are written in DNA that affects several digestive functions throughout the lineage of families predisposed to obesity.

Passed down among their genes are codes that regulate:

• Food Intake Action in the Central Nervous System
• Adipocyte Function 

Based on these observations, genes can determine everything from the tendency to overeat to how dietary fat is stored in our system.

While genetics undoubtedly plays a big role in how we maintain our weight, it’s not the only facet. In fact, it’s not the greatest influencer for the people whose genetics influenced their weight by only 40% to 50%.

Obesity and Environment

If genetics isn’t the number one reason a person is obese, the next logical reason is their environment. Our environment doesn’t just mean the outdoors, although that is a contributor as well. By “our environment,” we mean the world that surrounds us. We’re talking about your office building, neighborhood, and house.

There are many toxins in the environment that may trigger unwanted reactions in our systems. Ultimately, these reactions may cause us to gain weight 3. Shockingly, toxins aren’t the primary culprits in your environment that have you wondering how to lose weight.

Your environment also includes the foods in your life. That sentiment doesn’t just include the foods you consume. It also encompasses the foods eaten by those around you.

Many of us write off weight gain as genetics. Sure, your family has something to do with it, but it might not necessarily be their genetic code. They’re feeding you foods laden with allergens, artificial dyes, and refined sugars. This environmental contributor follows you out of the house as you purchase a donut at the coffee shop, a soda at the gas station, and a hamburger at the fast food restaurant.

Now, there’s plenty of people out there that don’t have a predisposition to obesity through genetics. That means up to 100% of their contributing factors to their obesity can be environmental.

The reason that both the genetic predisposed and non-genetic predisposed person is having the same issue comes down to a poor diet allowing harmful bacteria to take over their gut biome.

Tie Between Gut Bacteria and Weight Loss

Our body is home to trillions of microbes that are responsible for everyday functions, both complex and straightforward. They control our thought processes, gastrointestinal issues, and how we digest food. While important, those factors don’t even begin to scratch the surface on the influence gut bacteria has on our system. However, we’re here to discuss how to lose weight.

So, when we eat food, we rely on enzymes to break down the food particles. When this happens, waste can leave the system, while nutrients get absorbed by the bloodstream. Unfortunately, many of us don’t produce enough enzymes to handle all the food we eat. That’s when we depend on our stomach bacteria.

Like us, gut bacteria can be a bit fickle about what gets delivered on their plates. Beneficial bacteria that support a healthy gut biome enjoy carbs from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Meanwhile, harmful bacteria dine on refined sugars and saturated fats found in a majority of meals on dinner plates across the globe.

The stomach bacteria that prosper off your diet determines the various unfavorable symptoms you may experience, such as gastrointestinal distress, skin problems, or mental health issues. They also influence how to lose weight.

Which Gut Bacteria Influence How to Lose Weight

Many of us do everything right to lose weight. We exercise, eat properly, and get our beauty rest. Yet, many people have problems shedding excess pounds. So, what gives?

A study followed 26 patients who consumed a low-calorie diet rich in fruits and vegetables 4. Results found that some people didn’t lose as much weight as others who followed the same protocol. So, the researchers conducted a gut microbiome test on the patients.

The researchers found that those who didn’t lose weight seemed to have an elevated level of Dialister in their gut biome.

Dialister and Weight Loss Problems

When we eat food, our gut bacteria eat too. What they consume is called prebiotics. Prebiotics is a term to describe carbohydrates in our food that beneficial bacteria consume.

Much like us, probiotics use carbs for energy. Unfortunately for people trying to lose weight with an abundance of Dialister, they like carbs too. This gut bacteria likes carbs so much that they eat them quicker than probiotics. Therefore, Dialister gains more energy, and you don’t get to burn off any excess pounds.

Now, scientists say Dialister plays a part, but they aren’t the be-all-end-all. In fact, they summarized,

“It makes biological sense that the bacteria may be hindrance, but they can only play a small role as they produce only a small number of calories needed 4.”

– Mayo Clinic

So, what else plays a role in the reasons you can’t figure out how to lose weight? Obviously, it’s within the food. However, these suspects are ones you may not be looking for.

What Makes It Harder to Lose Weight?

If you want to have any say on which stomach bacteria stay in the gut biome, you must make that decision each time you fill your plate. The food you eat determines which stomach bacteria are going to take up residence in your system.

Researchers looked at common factors that were at play in the diets of people who had trouble losing weight. They found two major contributors that alter the gut microbiome, which ultimately makes it more difficult for someone to lose weight 5.

Glutamate

Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that sends communication between nerve cells. It is a crucial amino acid that plays a role in many aspects of our body that influences weight, including taste perception and satiation.

When we produce too much glutamate, it can start to destroy cells. This destruction includes our signaling system. Therefore, we might not get the memo that we’re full, which can lead to over-eating.

Foods High in Glutamate

You may remember the high-crackdown on monosodium glutamate (MSG) a couple of decades ago. That rings true to this day if you’re trying to lose weight.

Avoid some of the following foods might be the key to how to lose weight:

Dorea

Dorea stomach bacteria doesn’t have much research on it individually. However, studies do note that this opportunistic intestinal flora can have a negative impact on insulin resistance 7.

Ruminococcus

Ruminococcus can actually be beneficial stomach bacteria. It is efficient in breaking down tough plant matter, such as the cell wall. That makes digesting vegetables less likely to cause stomach pain.

As the narrative keeps proving, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Ruminococcus loves the polysaccharides in plants. We know that word better as “sugars.” With excess Ruminococcus in the gut, your cells will absorb more sugar, inevitably causing weight gain.