Hip
Senior Member
- Messages
- 17,704
Obesity is linked to higher intestinal levels of certain Firmicutes bacteria in relation to Bacteroidetes bacteria.
Overweight individuals tend have more Firmicutes bacteria in their gut, whereas normal weight individuals tend have more Bacteroidetes bacteria. Ref: 1
This perhaps suggests the bacterial imbalance in the gut might play a causal role in producing obesity and fat gain in the body.
However, a study at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) given to obese subjects, where the FMT donors were normal weight individuals, showed no benefit for reducing obesity.
See: A gut bacteria transplant may not help you lose weight
That negative result suggests the gut bacterial imbalance in those suffering obesity may thus be a consequence of obesity, rather than a cause of obesity.
Though this negative result does not rule out a viral connection to obesity: obesity is associated with adenovirus 36, which is much more prevalent obese people than in non-obese individuals. Ref: 1 And it has been demonstrated that animals experimentally infected with adenovirus 36 will develop increased obesity. Ref: 1
Overweight individuals tend have more Firmicutes bacteria in their gut, whereas normal weight individuals tend have more Bacteroidetes bacteria. Ref: 1
This perhaps suggests the bacterial imbalance in the gut might play a causal role in producing obesity and fat gain in the body.
However, a study at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) given to obese subjects, where the FMT donors were normal weight individuals, showed no benefit for reducing obesity.
See: A gut bacteria transplant may not help you lose weight
That negative result suggests the gut bacterial imbalance in those suffering obesity may thus be a consequence of obesity, rather than a cause of obesity.
Though this negative result does not rule out a viral connection to obesity: obesity is associated with adenovirus 36, which is much more prevalent obese people than in non-obese individuals. Ref: 1 And it has been demonstrated that animals experimentally infected with adenovirus 36 will develop increased obesity. Ref: 1