Scientists trying to address the ongoing obesity crisis have made an important discovery. Intermittent calorie restriction can create significant changes in both your gut and brain, opening up new options for maintaining a healthy weight.
Chinese researchers studied 25 volunteers classified as obese over 62 days, during which they were placed on an intermittent energy restriction (IER) program, meaning they carefully controlled their caloric intake and on some days had relatively low Participated in a fasting program.
Participants in the study not only lost an average of 7.6 kilograms (16.8 pounds), or 7.8 percent of their body weight, but there was also evidence of changes in activity in areas of the brain associated with obesity. , up of intestinal bacteria.
“Here we show that the IER diet alters the human brain-gut-microbiome axis.” Said When the results were announced in December 2023, health researcher Qiang Zeng from China’s Second Medical Center and National Geriatric Clinical Research Center said:
“The changes observed in the gut microbiome and activity in brain regions associated with addiction during and after weight loss are highly dynamic and coupled over time.”
At this time, it is not clear what causes these changes and whether the gut is influencing the brain or vice versa. But we know that the gut and brain are closely linked, so treating specific areas of the brain could be a way to control food intake.
Discovering changes in brain activity Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans detected regions known to be important in regulating appetite and addiction. inferior frontal orbital gyrus.
Additionally, changes in the gut microbiome, analyzed by stool samples and blood measurements, were associated with specific brain regions.
For example, bacteria Coprococcus is coming and Eubacterium harii These were negatively correlated with activity in the left inferior fronto-orbital gyrus, a region involved in executive functions including willpower related to food intake.
“The gut microbiome is thought to communicate with the brain in a complex bidirectional manner.” Said Xiaoning Wang, a medical scientist at China’s National Center for Geriatrics, said:
“The microbiome produces neurotransmitters and neurotoxins that access the brain through the nerves and blood circulation. In turn, the brain controls feeding behavior, while nutrients from our diet are transferred to the gut. changes the composition of the internal microbiome.”
Over 1 billion People around the world are now thought to be obese, which leads to an increased risk of a variety of health problems, from cancer to heart disease. Learning more about how our brains and guts depend on each other could make a big difference in effectively preventing and reducing obesity.
“The next question to answer is the exact mechanism by which the brain communicates with the gut microbiome in obese people, including during weight loss.” Said Liming Wang, a biomedical scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said:
“What specific gut microbiota and brain regions are important for successful weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight?”
This study Frontiers of Cellular and Infectious Microbiology.
A previous version of this article was published in December 2023.
