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The podcast discusses the microbiota and its relation to obesity. The microbiota is a large ecosystem of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that covers our body. It develops from birth and can be influenced by genetics, environment, lifestyle, and diet. Obesity has been associated with the gut microbiota since the 1980s. The gut microbiota affects nutrient acquisition, energy regulation, and can lead to obesity. Managing the gut microbiota is key in treating obesity, but it is still poorly understood. A high-calorie diet and the gut microbiome can affect metabolic function and energy homeostasis. Eating fresh food, leafy greens, and fermented foods, managing stress, getting enough sleep, and regular exercise contribute to a healthy gut and overall health. Microbiota-targeted supplements may enhance weight loss, but more research is needed. Improving the composition of the microbiome can be done by consuming probiotics, fiber, and whole foods. Everyone's microbiome is unique, and what we Welcome to BioThursday. Today we'll be talking about the microbiota and its relation to obesity. Hi, I'm Melissa. Hi, I'm Peyton. Hi, I'm Luis. And I'm Jaylen. We're going to start today's podcast by Luis explaining a little bit of the history of the microbiota. Welcome to BioThursday. And in this episode, we'll go into the world of microbiota and we'll cover the questions such as how big is the world of microbiota? What is microbiota and how can it affect us? So it's a large ecosystem of bacteria, viruses and fungi that covers our entire body with up to 400 to 500 different bacterial species per gram of colonic content. From the moment we enter the world, our microbiomes begin to develop. Their growth is determined by factors such as genetics, environment, lifestyle and diet. We can see that our microbes can change from being in the womb during childbirth and breastfeeding. But microbes are not only just good as there can be bad microbiota in our bodies and diseases can come from this, such as inflammatory bowel disease, clostridium difficile and even obesity. As early as the 1980s, the gut microbiota has been associated with obesity in humans. As we see obesity turn into a global issue, it's important to understand the relationship between microbiota and obesity. So join us as we talk about our research and uncover ways we can change microbiota in order to control metabolism, weight and overall health. So now that we have a more clear understanding of the history of microbiota, now we're going to talk a little bit more about how the microbiota is related to obesity. Hey, I got some information that could be beneficial for you and your gut. Obesity results from alterations in the body's energy intake and storage regulation. Existing evidence warrants further investigation of the microbial ecology of the human gut and points to modification of the gut microbiota as one means to treat people who are overweight. Recent evidence from animal studies suggests that the gut microbiota affects nutrient acquisition and energy regulation. Evidence suggests that the activity of the gut microbiota facilitates the extraction of calories and helps to choose whether to use or store those calories. This results in the body altercations that in turn lead to obesity. This makes the management of the gut microbiota key to treating obesity. However, managing this is still poorly understood. In case you didn't know, a high-calorie diet is a crucial factor for obesity and may induce changes in the function of the gut microbiome. It has also been suggested that the gut microbiome affects metabolic function and energy homeostasis. So, as Melissa and Peyton both mentioned, there is minimal evidence to this, but something we do know is that the reason energy intake affects weight has to do with the microbiome. So, it's not necessarily about how much energy is in the food you eat, but it's about how much energy your biome can extract from that food. So, specific gut bacteria play a role in extracting the energy from the food we eat. And in turn, these bacteria can help break down carbs and produce short-chain fatty acids, and then the body absorbs these and uses these for energy. So, if somebody has a lot of this specific bacteria, then they are extracting more energy from their food, which leads to weight gain. Also, gut microbiota and probiotic supplementation can affect many health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and immune and infectious diseases. So, these are things that you should watch out for. So, let me give you a piece of advice. Eat fresh food, leafy greens, and natural fermented foods. Avoid stress, have a good amount of sleep, and get regular exercise. It can contribute to a healthy gut and better overall health. Now, Peyton will tell us more about some studies that suggest how microbiota enhance weight loss. Studies also suggest that microbiota-targeted supplements could enhance weight loss, obesity in adults, while also practicing dietary and exercise regimens. Personal microbiome supplement treatments may also help overrate individuals. However, most data trying to prove the influence of probiotics in human weight loss is slim. Most studies reveal that there could be some influence, but nothing conclusive or definitive. Because of this, microbiome supplements are not suggested to be taken to fight against obesity alone, rather to take them alongside a healthy diet plus working out and exercise. Exercising and having a healthy diet are both proven ways to fight against obesity with evidence backing them up. It's actually pretty interesting to hear how the gut microbiome can play a huge role in extracting energy from the food we consume and how it can affect our weight. However, we should consider the steps to support our microbiome, and that's where Jaylene comes in, and she'll be sharing her research into what we can actually do to help our gut microbiota in order to have optimal health from the inside out. So, as Peyton mentioned, the evidence is a little slim, but there are a few things you can do to improve the composition of your microbiome. Melissa mentioned things like eating leafy greens, fruits and vegetables, and fermented foods. Here is why these things work. Because when you consume good probiotics, which are live gut bacteria, they improve the microbiome composition. These probiotics, in turn, feed off the fibers and prebiotics and aid in digestion. So, think kombucha, sourdough, sauerkraut. You should also consume fiber, between 20 and 30 grams a day, because fiber is a non-digestible substance that feeds healthy gut bacteria and promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. So, like Melissa said, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, leafy greens. If it's difficult to eat these whole foods, then you can eat fiber-fortified products, such as yogurts, ice cream, cereals, snack bars, and juices. That is all we have for today. To review, we talked about some history of what the microbiome is, how the microbiome can be related to obesity, and finally, some things you can do to help improve the health of the microbiome, and therefore, your overall health. If you don't remember everything from this podcast, then that's okay. Just remember these two things. Number one, everyone's microbiome is unique. Microbiomes are affected by so many different factors, such as genetics and lifestyles. If a specific diet is not helping you lose weight, then it's time to change it up to help fit your unique microbiome. And number two, what we eat can help improve our gut microbiome composition. So, eat whole grains, leafy greens, and fermented foods to try to improve your microbiome composition. This has been BioThursday on the topic of microbiota. I hope you enjoyed this podcast. Thank you. ♪♪♪