- A new study shows that adhering to a Mediterranean diet and regular exercise benefited the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota, leading to weight loss.
- This study may point to new avenues of research exploring the effects of diet and exercise on gut health.
- Despite the promising results, experts say the study’s design may have yielded inconclusive findings and more research is needed.
A new study investigated the effects of combining a Mediterranean diet with exercise and how it affects the gut microbiome.
The results of this study demonstrate changes in the gut microbiota of participants who adhered to a Mediterranean diet and participated in an exercise program compared to those who ate only a Mediterranean diet.
People in the group who ate and exercised lost more weight.
A quality diet and regular exercise are known to benefit overall health.
But experts say diet is key to weight loss, and exercise benefits cardiovascular, metabolic and cognitive health, as well as strength and balance.
If confirmed, this study would be the first to suggest a synergistic effect of diet and exercise on gut health and weight loss.
This research recently American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
In the one-year study, 400 participants between the ages of 55 and 75, who are at high cardiovascular risk, were divided into two groups of 200 participants each.
Before the trial, researchers collected dietary information, anthropometric measurements, blood samples, and stool samples for microbiome analysis.
The first group, the lifestyle intervention group, was fed a low-energy Mediterranean diet and received personal training advice from a nutritionist.
Participants were encouraged to walk briskly or equivalently for 45 minutes each day and perform specific strength, balance, and flexibility exercises.
In addition, members of the lifestyle intervention group received two monthly visits from researchers, consisting of one group session, one individual session, and one individual phone call.
A second control group was given recommendations to follow a Mediterranean diet in two group sessions per year, without any physical activity advice. As a result, the extent to which they adhere to the Mediterranean diet is up to them, in research terms. freely.
After one year, researchers found changes in the levels of four metabolites in stool samples belonging to the lifestyle intervention group compared to the control group.
The levels of two of these metabolites, DPA and adrenic acid, decreased, and the levels of oleic acid and 3-MAA increased.reduction of Eubacterium harii and Dorea Microorganisms were also observed.
Researchers note that some of these differences are related to changes in cardiovascular risk factors. Also of interest to the researchers were the metabolic processes, or subnetworks, initiated by these metabolites.
“Physical activity has been observed to have beneficial effects on the composition of the gut microbiota by increasing the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria and decreasing the abundance of harmful species.” says a senior researcher. Dr. Jordi Salas Salvado, A professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology at the University of Southern Catalonia in Spain explained: Today’s medical news.
Despite the promising findings, differences in dietary approaches between the lifestyle intervention and control groups make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.
Both groups were considered to be on the same energy-deficient or calorie-deficient diet.
“Look at the characteristics, study the results, [their] Mediterranean diet adherence scores differed significantly [between the two groups], Dr. Babak Firouzia board-certified gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Medical Group in California, said: MNT. Dr. Firouzi was not involved in this study.
“In other words, the control group didn’t stick to their diet the way the intervention group did,” Dr. Firouzi explained.
Dr. Salas Salvado agreed, saying: freely nature of [control group’s] Diet may have had a greater influence on the difference in microbiota outcomes between the two groups than the physical activity intervention. ”
“An unrestricted diet can lead to variations in nutrient intake, which can have a different impact on the composition of the gut microbiome than exercise alone. biological effects can be overshadowed, making it difficult to identify the sole effect of exercise on microbial effects.”
— Dr. Jordi Salas Salvado, Senior Researcher
Dr. Firouzi suggested that this study may indicate the need for further research into the interaction between diet and exercise, although it needs to be structured differently.
He said research findings on the effects of exercise differ from conventional wisdom about gut health.
“I do not think so [the authors] I can say definitively [it was exercise that made the difference]But it’s definitely interesting to at least assume. ” Dr. Firouzi said.
Michelle Ruthenstein, Cardiology Dietitian and Preventive Cardiology Dietitian fully nourishedAlthough he was not involved in the study, he said there is “some evidence that exercise may improve microbiome diversity and help positively change society.” Bacteroides: Firmicutes This is the ratio in the intestines. ”
Still, Ruthenstein agreed that more research is needed.
“In my practice, I encounter people who have advanced coronary artery disease despite having been active athletes their entire lives. “We acknowledge that we believe it reflects metabolic health,” Rosenstein said.
“I believe it’s time to shift the focus from debating the importance of either exercise or nutrition in cardiometabolic health and instead recognize the importance of both. Optimal Heart, Gut, and Brain , and it is important to understand that overall health and longevity require a balanced emphasis on both exercise and nutrition.”
— Michelle Ruthenstein, Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist
