Gut Bacteria May Prevent Weight Loss: Researchers Work On Transplanting Microbes

Could gut bacteria be preventing you from losing weight. Recent findings published in the journal Cell examine how this issue may be the culprit. 

For the study, researchers a small bacterial family that's typically runs in certain families. The findings revealed that mice transplanted with the microber were much less likely to gain weight than the control group which did not receive the same microbes.

The study results showed that customized probiotic therapies helped build an individual's genetic makeup, reducing their risk of weight gain and obesity-related diseases.

"Our findings show that specific groups of microbes living in our gut could be protective against obesity - and that their abundance is influenced by our genes. The human microbiome represents an exciting new target for dietary changes and treatments aimed at combating obesity," said Professor Tim Spector, Head of the Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology at King's College London, in a news release. 

"Up until now, variation in the abundances of gut microbes has been explained by diet, the environment, lifestyle, and health. This is the first study to firmly establish that certain types of gut microbes are heritable -- that their variation across a population is in part due to host genotype variation, not just environmental influences. These results will also help us find new predictors of disease and aid prevention," concluded Ruth Ley, Associate Professor at Cornell University in the United States.