This is not the first time I’ve gone on a rant about the importance of having a healthy blend of bacteria in the gut on all kinds of chronic disease. And the fact that wanton antibiotic use (especiallly in our infants and children) decimates a healthy gut and poor lifestyle choices do the same. Stress can change our gut flora from healthy to unhealthy in a matter of hours.
Our gut contains hundreds and hundreds of little critters. Bacteria dominate but also coexist with yeasts. Despite what some promote (Candida diets, antibiotics, etc..), you can never completely eradicate anything in the gut. Consider our gut like the Taliban underground hideouts in Afghanistan-too many places to hide to wipe them all out.
So consider our gut as more of the most important game of “kind of the hill” you will play. Probiotic supplementation, good blend of soluble and insoluble fiber, exercise and low stress all help to keep the good guys on top of the hill.
This line of research indicated in this particular study is jaw droppingly fascinating. Basically, the bacteria in our gut differs if we are obese or lean. The obese person’s bacteria is more effective at harvesting calories for the person. This means that more of the calories we eat get absorbed and have the potential to get stored as fat.
Furthermore, as lean people consumed more calories, the bacteria quickly adapted towards the “obesigenic” side and helped the person absorb more calories.
Very powerful information. Consider this information the next time a pediatrician wants to put your infant or child on antibiotics for a simple ear infection, Strept throat (yes–I said Strept throat!!) or an upper respiratory tract infection.