Found bacteria that protect against obesity. How does this help people?

Our intestinal microflora consists of a hugethe number of bacteria that live with us in symbiosis and help in the processes of digestion and assimilation of food. However, as it turned out, the microflora may have much greater potential impact on the body. Not so long ago, a group of scientists from the United States discovered a number of intestinal bacteria that can prevent the development of obesity.

What bacteria will save from obesity

As reported in the journal Science, these usefulbacteria belong to the class of clostridia, and in the intestine there can be from 20 to 30 different species. In the course of the research, scientists led by Professor Zach Stevens found out that laboratory mice with the loss of clostridia from the intestines begin to gain weight even if they eat properly. Moreover, the return of this class of microbes to animals allowed them to return their body mass indexes to normal.

Now that we have found the bacteria responsible for the effect of losing weight, we can understand exactly what microorganisms are doing and how to extract therapeutic value from it. - say scientists.

How Bacteria Help Lose Weight

Discovered clostridia prevent an increaseweight by blocking the ability of the intestines to absorb fat. Mice experimentally "treated" in such a way that clostridia were the only bacteria living in their intestines were thinner and with less fat than their relatives, who did not have any microbes at all. At the same time, they also had lower levels of the CD36 gene, which regulates the uptake of fatty acids by the body, which can also have an effect on a set of extra kilograms. But the most important discovery awaited scientists ahead: the right bacterial balance in the gastrointestinal tract can prevent the development of diabetes.

Bacteria and Diabetes

Scientists realized that one of the functions of the immuneThe system is to maintain a balance between different types of bacteria in the intestine. The weakening of the body's defenses can lead to the fact that some types of bacteria will dominate over others. And then this shift adversely affects health.

This is interesting: How beneficial bacteria can turn into harmful ones.

Following this logic, scientists determined thatThe obesity observed in immunocompromised mice results from the inability of the body's defense system to properly recognize bacteria. This change made the intestines less “welcoming” to clostridia, which resulted in greater fat absorption and excessive weight gain. Over time, most of these mice developed signs of type 2 diabetes.

We stumbled upon a relatively unexplored aspecttype 2 diabetes and obesity, say scientists. Our work will open up new opportunities in exploring how diabetes develops and how to prevent and cure it.

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