There is a microscopic world inside the human body, with trillions of microorganisms living in it and impacting health. Now, a new study is linking a specific type of gut bacteria to binge eating and weight gain.
Everyone has about 200 different species of bacteria, viruses and fungi in their digestive tract. While many are good for what medical experts call a “gut microbiome,” not all are.
Researchers studied mice and humans who tended to binge eat and found similar levels of at least two types of bacteria in their microbiomes: one that is good for the body’s health and another that is not.
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The study also found that increasing the amount of the “good” bacteria could prevent compulsive eating in mice. While that element of the study wasn’t conducted with humans, researchers are starting to plan human experiments.
Researchers said this experiment furthers the notion that the gut talks to the brain, but doesn’t explain how bacteria protect against developing compulsive eating habits. Despite these findings, the scientists said several more factors play into binge eating, such as genetics and environment.
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THERE’S A MICROSCOPIC WORLD INSIDE YOUR BODY WITH *TRILLIONS* OF MICROORGANISMS LIVING IN IT – AND FOR BETTER OR WORSE, THEY IMPACT YOUR HEALTH.
NOW – A NEW STUDY IS LINKING THE BACTERIA IN YOUR GUT… TO BINGE EATING AND WEIGHT GAIN.
EVERYONE HAS ABOUT 200 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF BACTERIA, VIRUSES, AND FUNGI IN THEIR DIGESTIVE TRACT – AND WHILE MANY ARE GOOD FOR WHAT MEDICAL EXPERTS CALL YOUR “GUT MICROBIOME”… NOT ALL ARE.
RESEARCHERS STUDIED BOTH MICE AND HUMANS WHO HAD A TENDENCY TO BINGE EAT.
THEY FOUND SIMILAR LEVELS OF AT LEAST TWO TYPES OF BACTERIA IN THEIR MICROBIOMES – ONE GOOD FOR YOU, THE OTHER BAD.
THEY ALSO FOUND INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF THAT “GOOD” BACTERIA COULD PREVENT COMPULSIVE EATING IN MICE.
THAT PART OF THE STUDY WASN’T DONE ON HUMANS – BUT RESEARCHERS ARE ALREADY PLANNING HUMAN EXPERIMENTS.
RESEARCHERS SAY THIS EXPERIMENT FUTHERS THE NOTION THAT THE GUT TALKS TO THE BRAIN – BUT DOENS’T EXPLAIN *HOW* BACTERIA PROTECT AGAINST DEVELOPING COMPULSIVE EATING HABITS.
AND DESPITE THESE FINDINGS – THEY SAY A LOT MORE FACTORS GO PLAY INTO BINGE EATING, LIKE GENETICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS.
