Losing weight bedevils most of us (see blog February 2023). There are many ways to address obesity. The best one is the one that works for you. Still, diet and exercise are the cornerstones. But what if you are not motivated to exercise? What if you are not losing weight despite your best efforts? I hope you find this issue helpful.
Hugo Rodier, MD
Science Reveals Link Between Gut Health and Exercise Motivation
Denny Watkins. WebMD Health News, January 05, 2023
“Could gut health be behind a person’s motivation — or lack thereof — to exercise? Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania recently explored this topic when they wanted to find out why some lab mice seem to love their exercise wheel, while others mostly ignore it. To start, the researchers used a machine-learning algorithm to look for biological traits that could explain the differences in activity levels among mice. And what they found surprised them: Genetics seemed to have little to do with it, but differences in gut bacteria appeared to matter more. A handful of studies backed that up: Thriving gut microbiomes have been linked with optimal muscle function in mice.
Sure enough, when the researchers dosed mice with broad-spectrum antibiotics, killing off their gut bacteria, the distance the rodents were able to run dropped by half. But off the antibiotics, the mice mostly regained their previous performance levels. The findings, published in the journal Nature in December, suggest that the gut microbiome may help regulate the desire to exercise. If confirmed in humans, this hypothesis could help explain why so many Americans (about half) fail to get the recommended amount of physical activity. Some may blame lack of time, energy, or interest. But perhaps the reason could come down to the trillions of microbes living in their gut. This line of research could also lead to microbiome-based ways to get sedentary people off the couch or optimize athletic performance. But how could one’s microbiome impact the motivation to move? To find the answer, the researchers zeroed in on the brain.
After treating the mice with antibiotics, the researchers sequenced RNA in the rodents’ striatum (the part of the brain responsible for motivation). They found reduced gene expression in the cells’ dopamine receptors — which release the neurochemical dopamine, making one feel like they’ve accomplished something good. In other words: Mice treated with antibiotics were getting less of a dopamine hit after their run. “Only when we started focusing on the brain did we understand that the microbiome’s effect on exercise capacity was mediated by the central and peripheral nervous systems,” says study author Christoph Thaiss, PhD, a microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania. “This realization completely changed the trajectory of the project.”
Comment: Get the lead (and the sugar) out! The Gut-Brain connection also explains why we crave/hate some foods. It is at the heart of our national addiction to sugar.
Some people’s gut bacteria appear to extract more caloric energy from food
“HealthDay (1/3/23, Norton) Some people’s gut bacteria extract more energy, as in calories, from food – possibly contributing to weight gain.” In a study involving 85 adults with overweight, investigators “found that those with a particular gut bacteria profile – dubbed the ‘B-type’ – had less energy density in their stool samples, versus people with other bacterial profiles.” What’s more, “on average, study participants with a B-type gut weighed about 20 pounds more than participants with another gut bacteria profile dubbed the R-type,” the study revealed. The findings were published online in the journal Microbiome.”
Comment: One of the essential functions of our microbiome is METABOLISM, that is, how we manage the energy packed in the food we eat. Two people may eat the same meal/calories, but one may gain weight.
Antibiotics tied to increased risk for IBD, particularly among individuals aged 40 or older
“MedPage Today (1/9/23, Minerd) reports, “Antibiotics were linked with increased risk for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially among individuals 40 or older,” investigators concluded. In the study “of more than six million individuals followed for approximately 19 years, antibiotic use was associated with nearly 50% increased incidence of IBD in people ages 40 to 60…and older than 60” when “compared with no antibiotic exposure.” The findings were published online in the journal Gut.”
Comment: Antibiotics compromise our microbiome. So do processed foods and xenobiotics like pesticides.
Intermittent fasting tied to lower risk for COVID-19 hospitalization, mortality
“Healio (1/11/23, Bascom) reports, “Intermittent fasting was associated with a lower risk for COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality and could be used as a complementary therapy to vaccination, according to researchers.” The team “found that the composite outcome” of hospitalization or mortality “occurred in 28.8% of non-fasters and 11% of periodic fasters.” The findings of their “prospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study” were published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.”
Comment: Obesity and immune system issues have a common denominator: our microbiome. It comprises 2/3 of our immune system; it is also one of the main factors influencing our metabolism.
Infant exposure to acid-suppressive medications linked to modest asthma risk
Healio Minute, January 13, 2023
“JAMA Pediatrics. Infants exposed to these medications had a higher risk for developing asthma, although this risk was not as large as previously reported, Yunha Noh, PharmD, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the School of Pharmacy at Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, South Korea wrote.”
Comment: Acid blockers affect our microbiome. Asthma is an immune-system issue.
Daily prune consumption preserves, protects bones in postmenopausal women
Healio Minute, August 12, 2022. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022;doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqac189.
“In postmenopausal women, eating prunes every day prevented loss of hip bone mineral density and protected against hip fractures, according to a randomized controlled trial published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. “Our data supports the use of prunes to protect the hip from bone loss post-menopause,” Mary Jane De Souza, PhD, FACSM, distinguished professor of kinesiology and physiology and director of the Women’s Health and Exercise Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University, said in a press release. “Indeed, these data may be especially valuable for postmenopausal women who cannot take pharmacological therapy to combat bone loss and need an alternative strategy.”
De Souza and colleagues randomly assigned 235 women (average age, 62.1 ± 5 years; 97% white) to eat 50 g of prunes daily for 1 year (n = 79), 100 g of prunes daily for 1 year (n = 78) or to a control group (n = 78). Controls were prescribed calcium and vitamin D3 as needed to meet the recommended daily allowance. The researchers assessed the effects of dietary intervention on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone biomarkers every 6 months. Although 90.2% and 87.1% of women eating 50 g and 100 g of prunes, respectively, were compliant with the intervention, the dropout rate was significantly higher among those assigned to eat 100 g of prunes (41%) compared with the rates in the 50 g group (15%) and the control group (10%).”
Comment: This also illustrates how important our microbiome is. By optimizing it, we improve absorption of nutrients such as minerals to enrich our bones. Osteoporosis is triggered by poor absorption in the gut.
