In today's society, obesity is a global problem that affects the health of billions of people. However, permanent weight loss is a difficult challenge that involves the complex interplay of multiple systems in the body. Fortunately, recent research suggests that intermittent energy restriction (IER) — a method of weight loss that alternates between relatively fasting and a normal diet — may offer new hope.
This article will reveal a new path of weight loss by alternating fasting and eating through weight-loss practices that alternate fasting and diet, demonstrating the amazing interaction between the brain, gut and microbiome.
Obesity is known to be a health condition that endangers cardiovascular health, leading to an increased risk of diabetes and certain cancers. However, managing obesity and losing weight is challenging because of the intricate interplay between multiple systems such as gut physiology, hormones, and the brain. In this context, intermittent energy restriction (IER) has been proposed as a weight-loss method, offering new hope for restoring physical health.
The study involved 25 obese Chinese men and women who underwent a 32-day "high-control fasting phase," during which dietitians designed a personalized diet plan to gradually reduce calories to a quarter of their basic energy intake. This was followed by a 30-day "low-controlled fasting phase" in which participants consumed about 500 to 600 calories per day.
These participants lost an average of 76 kg, body fat and waist circumference were also reduced accordingly, showing a noticeable improvement. In addition, physiological indicators such as blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol levels, and key liver enzyme activity were also reduced, suggesting that IER helps reduce obesity-related complications such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and liver dysfunction.
The researchers conducted metagenomics studies of the gut microbiome, blood measurements, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) on the participants, and found changes in the gut microbiome and brain activity during and after weight loss. This change is highly dynamic and couples over time.
Among these changes, the abundance of Faecalis przewalski's, Parabacterium distasonis, and Bacteroides homogeneus increased significantly, while the abundance of Escherichia coli decreased. Further analysis has shown that some bacterial abundances are closely related to activity in brain regions that are associated with dietary cravings and addictive behaviors, or with functions such as attention, mood, and learning.
However, this study is a correlation study and cannot resolve the direction of causality. But they point to a complex two-way communication mechanism between the gut microbiome and the brain. The microbiome affects the brain by producing neurotransmitters and toxins, which control eating behavior, while the composition of our diet also influences the composition of the gut microbiome.
This study raises many questions for future exploration, including the precise mechanisms of communication between the gut microbiome and the brain during weight loss, and the importance of specific microbiome and brain regions for weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.
Overall, this study shows us a new avenue of exploration: the close interaction between the brain, gut and microbiota through relative fasting and normal diet alternates, bringing new hope for weight loss. However, more research is needed to gain insight into this interaction in order to better guide obesity management and ways to promote healthy weight loss.