Restricting food intake can have different consequences health benefits, including reducing the risk of obesity. But when people stop dieting, they often regain their weight, and a new study in mice may reveal why.
Scientists at the Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and the Chinese Academy of Sciences think they may have identified the bacteria responsible for the metabolic changes.
In a study involving mice on 10 different diet protocols, Lactic acid bacteria It was also shown that their metabolites increased in the gut of animals when fasting was ended and reintroduced to a less restrictive diet. Helped the tissue absorb more fat.
The same process likely occurs in the human gut, and intermittent fasting and controlling caloric intake increase the gut’s ability to extract fat from the diet, increasing the likelihood of weight regain.
“Weight recovery after dieting remains a major challenge, and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood,” the researchers wrote in their paper. published papers.
“Here, we show that refeeding after different types of diets induces rapid fat accumulation in mice, and enhanced intestinal lipid absorption contributes to increased fat mass after dieting.”
Precise chemical changes consistent with increased intestinal levels Lactic acid bacteria This includes enhanced intestinal lipid (fat) absorption, increased lipid absorption in white adipose tissue, and decreased total lipid oxidation. lead to obesity In the past.
In the same study, researchers identified a possible way to stop weight gain after dieting. They fed mice different diets containing different levels of protein and found that high-protein diets restricted growth. Lactic acid bacteriathus limiting the amount of fat accumulated.
By experimenting with the food given to the mice after the diet, the researchers found that the composition of the food the mice subsequently ate, the level of protein in it, was more important than the caloric intake in terms of reducing fat gain. I have confirmed that it is important.
“Consuming a high-protein diet after dieting can significantly prevent the accumulation of fat mass, and even partially preserve the diet-induced fat-reducing effect, suggesting potential utility in preventing post-dieting obesity.” It has been proven to provide a viable method.” the researcher writes.
In conclusion, high protein foods may also help people lose weight after dieting, but more research is needed to know for sure.
We know that it may increase the intestinal tissue’s ability to absorb fat. Lactic acid bacteria Bacteria provide a target for researchers. The reason many people struggle to maintain their weight loss may be not just eating more or spending less time exercising after dieting, but because of underlying microbiome changes. not.
Another finding from this current study is that penicillin treatment Lactic acid bacteria This may offer another antibiotic-based approach to prevent weight gain after dieting.
“Determining whether high-protein diets have similar positive outcomes in individuals trying to lose weight is the most influential clinical practice,” said Amir Zalimper, a gastroenterologist at the University of California, San Diego. It will be the next experiment,” he said. Accompanying commentary.
This research natural metabolism.
