When most people hear the word "bacteria," they immediately think of something harmful. But what if we told you that the trillions of bacteria living in your body right now are actually working to help maintain your health and shape your body composition?1

Understand how your microbiome influences metabolism

Your gut microbiome is far more than just a collection of bacteria – it's a sophisticated metabolic engine. Recent research has revealed just how deeply this ecosystem influences your body's energy processing, metabolic rate, and nutrient absorption. Understanding these mechanisms can help you optimize your microbiome's impact on your body composition. 2

Explore the link between gut bacteria and body composition

Recent breakthrough research has revealed something remarkable: your gut bacteria may play a crucial role in determining body composition. Studies have shown that differences in gut bacterial populations can significantly impact how your body stores fat and uses energy.3

The evidence is compelling. When scientists transferred gut bacteria from overweight subjects to lean ones, they observed substantial changes in body fat content – even without changes in diet. This suggests that your gut microbiome might be a key player in managing your metabolism and body composition.4

One of the most intriguing discoveries is how gut bacteria influence insulin sensitivity. This is crucial because insulin sensitivity plays a vital role in determining your body composition.5 When you're more sensitive to insulin, your body is better at:

Using carbohydrates for energy instead of storing them as fat

Maintaining muscle mass

Managing healthy body weight

Controlling appetite and food cravings

Empower your body with bacterial diversity

What makes a healthy gut microbiome? The answer lies in personalized nutrition but also in microbial diversity. Communities with traditional lifestyles consistently show higher gut bacterial diversity than those in modern urban environments. This diversity appears to be a key factor in maintaining optimal gut health and body composition.6

Embrace probiotics

Probiotics are living microorganisms that can help restore and maintain a healthy gut ecosystem.* By incorporating these beneficial bacteria into your diet, you can support your digestive health, boost your immune system, and potentially improve your body's ability to maintain a healthy weight.* Think of probiotics as reinforcements for your gut's beneficial bacterial army.7

Natural yogurt with active cultures

Kimchi

Sauerkraut

Kefir

Kombucha

Support beneficial bacteria with prebiotics

Prebiotics are specialized plant fibers that act as food for your beneficial gut bacteria, helping them thrive and multiply.* When you consume prebiotic-rich foods, you're essentially providing a feast for your 'good' gut bacteria, allowing them to produce beneficial compounds that can influence your metabolism, appetite regulation, and, ultimately, your body composition.*8

Leeks and onions

Garlic

Raw chicory

Green bananas

Cooled potatoes

Oats and barley

Protect your microbiome from stress

Your gut microbiome is sensitive to various environmental factors and modern lifestyle choices that can disrupt its delicate balance. Just as you would protect any valuable ecosystem, it's crucial to shield your gut bacteria from unnecessary harm.9 This means being mindful of common threats to microbial diversity and taking steps to minimize their impact on your gut health. A protected microbiome is better equipped to support your metabolic health and body composition goals.

Use antibiotics only when necessary and as prescribed

Choose organic meats when possible to avoid unnecessary antibiotic exposure

Spend time outdoors to increase your exposure to diverse beneficial bacteria

Maintain a personalized and varied diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods

Be mindful of your environment

The modern world's emphasis on sterility and cleanliness, while important for preventing disease, may have gone too far when it comes to our microbiome health. Research suggests that exposure to a variety of environmental bacteria helps build a more diverse and resilient gut ecosystem.10 Alternatively, exposure to pollutants can also disrupt hormonal balances and impact body composition.11 Creating opportunities for safe exposure to natural environments can help replenish and diversify your gut microbiome, potentially supporting better metabolic health and body composition.

Get your hands dirty in the garden

Expose yourself to nature regularly

Avoid over-sanitizing your environment

Nourish gut health for a healthy future body

By nurturing your gut bacteria through diet and lifestyle choices, you're not just supporting your digestive health—you're potentially influencing your body's ability to maintain a healthy composition now and in the future. While calorie balance remains important, following a personalized nutrition plan that targets your body's needs and supports your goals is key to optimizing how your body processes and stores energy.

Every choice you make about what to eat and how to live affects your gut bacteria, which in turn influences your body composition.7 By making new choices that support a diverse and healthy gut microbiome, you're investing in your body's natural ability to maintain optimal health and composition.

References

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Duque-Cartagena, T. et al. (2023) Environmental Research, p. 115840.