Drinking cold water can make you gain weight, you can find out the bacteria in your intestines

Author: Cui Yihui, registered dietitian, master of medicine

Reviewer: Zhu Wenli, Professor and Master Supervisor, Peking University Health Science Center

Nowadays, many people try their best to maintain a slim figure or prevent various chronic diseases caused by obesity, such as dieting, exercising, and taking various health products that can enhance basal metabolism and burn fat... Despite such efforts, the results are still unsatisfactory. Some people lament that they have "unlucky" genes and sadly think that they are obese and "will gain weight even if they drink cold water."

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Is it because I am not trying hard enough to lose weight? Or is it because the "obesity gene" I inherited is too strong? Or is there another reason why my weight loss efforts are ineffective?

Before we reveal the answer, let's first share a famous experimental study conducted by the University of Washington in 2013. Researchers collected gut bacteria from fat and thin twins and transplanted them into slim mice. Then they fed the two groups of mice the same food every day. What was the result? The mice implanted with the fat twins' gut bacteria easily became fat, while the mice implanted with the thin twins' gut bacteria remained slim. This famous study confirmed that the gut flora can affect obesity and thinness.

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So, gaining weight is more complicated than we think. In addition to genetic factors, diet factors, and exercise factors, intestinal flora is also involved. If the intestinal flora is unbalanced, the beneficial bacteria decrease, and the harmful bacteria that absorb fat take the opportunity to "make trouble", then even if you eat less, you can't lose weight, and you will gain weight by drinking water!

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●Common influencing factors

❖Love to eat pork and high-fat diet

High saturated fat → changes in intestinal bacteria → inflammation of adipose tissue → weight gain.

When choosing the type of meat, it is recommended to eat more fish and poultry, because these meats have relatively high content of unsaturated fatty acids, which is good for increasing beneficial intestinal bacteria. Eating less meat with high saturated fatty acid content is not only a protection for blood lipid health, but also a protection for intestinal flora.

❖ Not fond of vegetables, low-fiber diet

Low-fiber diet → single intestinal flora, decreased richness → weight gain, and increased risk of obesity-related diseases.

Be sure to develop a good habit of eating more vegetables, more whole grains, and avoiding finely processed foods!

❖ Frequent overtime, staying up late, traveling, and reversing day and night

Irregular work and rest schedule → imbalance of intestinal flora rhythm → weight gain.

It is very important to go to bed on time, and it is equally important to maintain a regular work and life rhythm. Girls who gain weight the more tired they are and the more overtime they work, the easier it is to gain weight. Don’t always go on a diet. You also need to manage your intestinal flora and regularly supplement some probiotics and prebiotics.

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