"Drinking cold water makes you fat"? It may be the intestinal flora that is causing the problem

Passerby A: "I get fat even if I drink cold water."

Passerby B: "I eat a lot, but I don't gain weight easily."

Passerby A: "Ahhh, stop talking."

The above two body types are probably familiar to everyone. So what is the mystery behind this? ——Perhaps it is the intestinal flora that is causing the problem!

Let’s take a look at it together below.

Intestinal flora is a general term for microorganisms in the intestine, which are divided into probiotics, neutral flora and pathogenic bacteria. Intestinal microbiota can maintain its structure and diversity in many forms, thereby resisting external stimuli and being highly adaptable to changes in diet, lifestyle and environment.

The intestinal microecology plays a vital role in human health. The intestinal flora can not only maintain the health of intestinal function, absorption of nutrients, antibacterial, immune barrier and other functions, but in recent years, more and more studies have shown that intestinal flora imbalance can lead to intestinal microecological disorders and is closely related to the occurrence and development of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

For obese people, the reduction in intestinal flora diversity is the main factor in the development of obesity. The main changes in the intestinal flora of obese patients are the increase in the number of Firmicutes and the decrease in the number and diversity of Bacteroidetes. Firmicutes are mainly involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and amino acids, which enhances the body's potential to absorb more energy from food, and are therefore often called "fat bacteria." Studies on obese adolescents in China have shown that Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron can reduce fat content in normal and high-calorie diets and slow the rate of weight gain.

So how do we protect intestinal health? We can help maintain the stability of the intestinal microecology through a reasonable diet and appropriate preparations to supplement intestinal microorganisms.

1. Adjust your diet

For obese people, they should go to the hospital's clinical nutrition department for treatment in time. Under the guidance of doctors and nutritionists, they can find out the problems in their diet and adjust their diet structure. They should pay attention to controlling calorie intake, adjusting the intake of the three major nutrients, and avoiding the intake of sugary drinks, cakes, ice cream, milk tea, potato chips and other foods. They should also consume foods that are conducive to the growth of probiotics, such as enough vegetables, especially leafy vegetables, and ensure the intake of appropriate whole grains, beans and fruits.

2. Choose supplements wisely

If it is difficult to reach the required dietary fiber intake through daily food, you should supplement with preparations that are beneficial to the intestinal microecology under the guidance of a professional doctor, pay attention to the standardized use of relevant preparations and dosages, and make timely outpatient follow-up adjustments. It is worth noting that we often see "probiotics", "prebiotics", "synbiotics" and so on on the market. They can all play a beneficial role in improving the intestinal microbiome, but what are the differences between them?

(1) Probiotics: As the name suggests, they are active microorganisms that are beneficial to the host. They are a general term for active beneficial microorganisms that can improve the host's microecological balance and play a beneficial role. They can be said to be "soldiers" that are directly provided from the outside world to the intestines.

(2) Prebiotics: They are food for probiotics, or “food for the soldiers”. They are usually non-starch polysaccharides and oligosaccharides that are difficult for human enzymes to digest. They can produce beneficial physiological effects on the host by selectively stimulating the growth and activity of certain bacteria, awakening intestinal vitality and improving intestinal health.

(3) Synbiotics: It is a mixed preparation of probiotics and prebiotics, which means that it not only provides "soldiers" from the outside world to the intestines, but also provides "food and grass" for its own "soldiers". In this way, the physiological activity of probiotics and the growth-promoting effect of prebiotics can be exerted at the same time, which is more beneficial to the health of the host.

The intestinal health of obese people should not be underestimated!

References

[1] Yu Miao, Xu Ranzhao, Yang Xiaoying, et al. Research progress on the mechanism and regulation of intestinal flora-mediated obesity[J]. Food Science, 2023, 44(15):339-350.

[2]Liu Ruixin,Hong Jie,XuXiaoqiang et al. Gut microbiome and serum metabolome alterations in obesity and after weight-loss intervention.[J] .Nat Med, 2017, 23: 859-868.

[3] Qin Huailong. Clinical intestinal microecology[M]. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2021, 10:154-159.

Authors: Xin Hongliang, Liu Qianqian, Chen Chen, Gao Yanhong

Instructor: Niu Yang

Project source: Shanghai Health Science Popularization Youth Talent Project (JKKPYC-2022-06), 2023 Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Medical Student Health Science Popularization Cradle Program