More than 1 billion people worldwide are obese. Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. But permanently** isn't easy: complex interactions between body systems, such as gut physiology, hormones, and the brain, are known to play a role. One method is intermittent energy restriction (IER), where days of relative fasting alternate with days of normal eating.
The last author, Dr. Zeng, a researcher at the Institute of Health Management at the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army in Beijing, said: "Here, we show that the IER diet alters the human brain-gut-microbiome axis. The observed changes in the activity of the gut microbiome and the brain regions associated with it are highly dynamic and coupled over time. The study has been published in Frontiers in Cell and Infection Microbiology.
Using metagenomics for stool samples, blood measurements, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI), the authors examined changes in gut microbiome composition, physiological parameters, and serum composition, as well as brain activity in the IER diet of 25 obese Chinese women and men. The average age of the participants was 27 years old, and the BMI ranged from 28 to 45.
Dr. Li, a co-author in the Department of Health Management at Henan Provincial People's Hospital, said: "A healthy, balanced gut microbiome is essential for energy homeostasis and maintaining a normal body weight. In contrast, an abnormal gut microbiota can alter our eating behavior by affecting certain brain regions involved in addiction. ”
First, participants went through a 32-day "high-controlled fasting phase," where they received personalized meals designed by a dietitian and a gradual reduction in caloric values to a quarter of their basic energy intake. They then spent 30 days in a "low-controlled fasting phase," where they were given a list of recommended foods: participants who adhered to this diet completely would receive 500 calories per day for women and 600 calories for men.
By the end of the study, they had lost an average of 76 kg, i.e. 78%。Unsurprisingly, they have seen a decrease in both body fat and waist circumference.
Similarly, they experienced decreases in blood pressure and serum fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL levels, and activity of key liver enzymes. This suggests that IER helps reduce obesity-related comorbidities such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and liver dysfunction.
The authors observed a decrease in activity in brain regions related to appetite and addiction regulation after IER. In the gut microbiome, the abundance of the bacteria P. prasuri, Parabacteroides dieldii, and Bacteroides monomorphe increased dramatically, while the abundance of Escherichia coli decreased.
Further analysis showed that the abundance of E. coli, faecoccus, and Eubacterium hull was inversely correlated with the activity of the left orbital inferior gyrus of the brain, which is known to play a key role in executive function, including our **will. On the contrary, pThe abundance of distasonis and Przewalski's bacterium was positively correlated with areas of activity in the brain associated with attention, motor inhibition, mood, and academic Xi.
These results suggest that changes in the brain and microbiome are interrelated during and after – either because they are mutually intriguing or due to other unknown factors. Since this study is relevant, it does not address the direction of potential causality.
Co-author, Dr. Wang of the Institute of Geriatrics at the PLA General Hospital, said: "The gut microbiome is thought to communicate with the brain in a complex two-way way. The microbiome produces neurotransmitters and neurotoxins that enter the brain through nerves and blood circulation. In turn, the brain controls eating behavior, and the nutrients in our diet alter the composition of the gut microbiome. ”
of the co-authors. 1. Dr. Wang, also from the Beijing Institute of Health Management, said: "The next question that needs to be answered is the exact mechanism of the gut microbiome and brain communication in obese people, including during the ** period. What specific gut microbiota and brain regions are critical to success** and maintaining a healthy weight?”
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