Obesity is a major health concern for many people all over the world, and experts are continually looking for new ways to help obesity patients shed the extra weight and get their health back on track. Now, researchers have found that obesity patients might be able to live healthier lives with the help of a specific bacterium called Akkermansia muciniphila, which is naturally found in the digestive system. Continue reading to learn all about it.
The Research Behind the Bacteria
To understand how bacteria can help obesity patients, you need to look at the results of a study on overweight individuals who were told to drink supplements that contained this gut bacterium. Patients who took the bacteria into their system actually showed an improvement in their insulin sensitivity. Plus, they were able to lower their cholesterol level, and they were even able to lose some weight over the course of a few months.
This is definitely great news, especially for those who want to treat their obesity in a more natural way. And, you don’t even have to be grossed out by the idea of consuming bacteria because experts discovered that this bacterium was actually more effective after it had been killed through pasteurization.
Why the Bacteria Might Work on Obesity Patients
According to CNN, individuals who are diagnosed as obese often show reduced amounts of this bacterium within the gut. Also, in those people who do have more of this bacterium in the gut, a diet that aims to improve insulin resistance will usually be more effective in those individuals than in those who have lower amounts of the bacterium.
More Studies Are Necessary
Although this work is promising, the only problem is that the study on the effects of the bacterium was rather small, involving just 32 obese or overweight people. Therefore, more research will ultimately be necessary before experts can determine, with confidence, that this bacteria can help people shed pounds and improve their health. In the meantime, experts recommend following other tried-and-true weight loss methods, like dieting and exercising.
