Visceral Fat Linked To Bacteria in Feces

The make-up of the bacteria found in human feces may influence levels of visceral fat that covers the organs in our body.

Researchers from King's College London in their analysis of stool samples in a study of more than 3,600 twins found evidence that some of these bacteria is inherited.

Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body mass index (BMI) is a simple tool that is generally used to estimate the total amount of body fat.

‘Visceral fat is stored in the stomach area around important organs such as the liver, pancreas and intestines and is linked with higher risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.’

Tweet it Now

What is contained in feces bacteria could therefore partly explain why obesity passes down through families.

The research team extracted information from study participants about the human fecal microbiome - the bacteria present in feces samples - and compared these to six different measures of obesity, including body mass index (BMI) and different types of body fat.

The researchers found the strongest links with visceral fat, where participants with a high diversity of bacteria in their feces had lower levels of visceral fat.

Eat Your Way to Good Health
A balanced diet is the cornerstone of good health. With diabetes, obesity, heart ailments rapidly emerging as a major health challenge we really need to look into our lifestyles.

This type of body fat is bad because it is stored in the stomach area around important organs such as the liver, pancreas and intestines and is linked with higher risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Dr Michelle Beaumont, lead study author from the department of twin research and genetic epidemiology at King's College London, said although the study showed a clear link, it was not yet possible to explain why it existed.

Obesity - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Complications, Treatment
Obesity is a condition where there is excess accumulation of body fat which poses a risk to the health of the individual. It can affect children and adults.

One theory is that a lack of variety in fecal bacteria could lead to the domination of high levels of gut microbes which are good at turning carbohydrates into fat.

Dr Beaumont said: "As this was an observational study we cannot say precisely how communities of bacteria in the gut might influence the storage of fat in the body, or whether a different mechanism is involved in weight gain."

Habits to Lose Belly Fat
Healthy dietary habits and regular physical activities are the best ways to balance energy intake and expenditure to get a slimmer belly.

And she indicated more research was needed to investigate how microbes in our guts and in our feces can influence our health. But there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that gut bacteria may play a role in obesity. It is known that at least 50% of human feces is made up of bacteria shed from the gut.

Dr Beaumont said that eating a broad diet including a variety of different types of food - much like that of the early hunter-gatherers - could increase the diversity of microbes in our feces.

If the theory that microbes are passed on down the generations is correct, she said they may play an important role in how fat develops around the body and the health risk it presents.

Source-Medindia