Does a happy gut make a healthy body?

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In recent years, the gut and its gastrointestinal inhabitants have been a topic of interest to those hoping to unlock the key to preventing diet-related diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.  Researchers have learned that organisms within the gut are highly susceptible to changes in the gastrointestinal environment and the composition of the diet.  This imbalance can often lead to damage to the intestinal lining, intestinal permeability, and systemic inflammation which can result in weight gain, atherosclerosis, and impaired glucose utilization. 

Promising research has identified a gut superhero—Akkermansia muciniphila—a bacterial microorganism within the gut that can help protect the intestinal tract by regulating mucus secretion, subsequently inhibiting an autoimmune response and promoting insulin sensitivity.  A muciniphila concentrations can be used as preliminary biomarkers for obesity and type 2 diabetes.  Additionally, probiotic supplements containing A muciniphila, in combination with prebiotic fiber intake, has resulted in improved metabolic health for obese study participants.

Maintaining a FODMAP diet, one low in fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyphenols, can help manage gastrointestinal disorders and maintain a healthy gut population.  However, these diets are most effective when combined with prebiotics and probiotics, such as A muciniphila, in an effort to optimize metabolic health.


Bland, J. (2016). Intestinal Microbiome, Akkermansia muciniphila, and Medical Nutrition Therapy. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal, 15(5), 14-16.


LH

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