Obesity, type 2 diabetes & coronary heart diseases are dreaded chronic diseases impacting more than half of the total global adult population taken together.
At first glance, these 3 chronic diseases seem to be different. However, it turns out it stems for the same root- Disruption in metabolism (changes in chemical reactions in our body).
Our body is like a well oiled complex machinery system. Small changes in our metabolism can impact our overall health. These metabolic processes convert food into energy to fuel our cells, feed our gut microbiome, extract key building blocks from the food-protein, fats & carbs & facilitate excretion of waste from the body. Any disruption in metabolic process can result to illness.
Important to note here is that these 3 chronic diseases have one thing in common- gut microbiota. Let us discuss in detail how a healthy gut protects us from attracting either or all of these interlinked chronic diseases.
Coronary Heart Disease is characterized by inflammation & plaque build up on blood vessel walls that supply the heart. These deposits progressively narrow the arteries & eventually block them. When plague grows enough to block the flow of blood from these blood vessel walls to heart, it leads to heart attack. Genetic predisposition can increase the risk of heart disease. Some people have certain genetic variants that influence blood cholesterol metabolism. Besides wrong dietary choices that are fermented/metabolized into lipopolysaccharides(LPS) by our gut microbiome & released into our bloodstream also increase risk of attracting heart attack. Changes in gut microbiome or more commonly referred to as Gut Dysbiosis is linked to increased risk of heart disease since bad bacteria overpower good bacteria population &/or bacteria move to /makes shelter at places to which they do not belong to. Beneficial bacteria protect us from diseases by their activities such as releasing short chain fatty acids that have beneficial impact for our whole body. For instance Akkermansia muciniphila, at healthy levels, are shown to strengthen intestinal barrier & prevent release of toxins(lipopolysaccharides) & eradicate inflammation. Besides, bacteria such as Roseburia inulinovorans, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Eubacterium rectale are said to produce essential short chain fatty acid- Butyrate that protects our gut lining. Patients suffering from coronary heart disease are said to have more proinflammatory biomarkers and less anti-inflammatory biomarkers.
These proinflammatory biomarkers show increased presence of Proteus, Edwardsiella, and Providencia in the gut microbiome. These harmful bacteria( opportunistic pathogens) produce Trimethylamine(TMA) through consumption of choline rich foods( broccoli, egg yolks) & L-carnitine rich foods( red meat & fish). As shared in our earlier blogs, TMA is absorbed by our liver & converted to Trimethylamine-N-oxide(TMAO). This harmful compound is associated with heightened risk of coronary heart disease. Developing coronary heart disease is increased risk for people suffering from obesity & type 2 diabetes. By identifying specific features & composition of your gut microbiome, you can possible figure out dietary intervention & prevent & reverse occurence of this dreaded disease
We have discussed type 2 diabetes in our previous blogs. Type 2 diabetes is caused by chronic inflammation due to imbalance in our gut bacteria(or gut dysbiosis). Gut dysbiosis breaks the communication between gut & brain leading to lack of communication between insulin & our cells, thereby causing insulin resistance & elevated blood sugar level. This occurs when our cells are less sensitive to insulin As mentioned on numerous occasions, insulin is hormone released by our beta cells of our pancreas which carries glucose to different cells & tissues to provide them fuel/energy. People suffering from obesity & type 2 diabetes are said to have less butyrate producing bacteria such as E. rectale, F. prausnitzii, Roseburia intestinalis, and R. inulinivorans. The food for these bacteria is dietary fibre. However every individual requires a personalised dietary interventions unique for their body to improve the abundance of these beneficial bacteria. This explains why fad diets such as Ketosis, high protein, etc.. are not a solution for obesity & type 2 diabetes. A healthy gut microbiome tends to have lower level of opportunistic pathogens in the gut as compared to those suffering from obesity & type 2 diabetes.
Obesity is referred to as excess fat deposited in our body that increases risk of attracting type 2 diabetes & heart disease. Again, the reason for occurrence of obesity is gut dysbiosis which prevents our gut from sending a message to our brain that we are full, leading to overeating & fat deposition in our body.
It is clear that balance of our gut microbiota has a major role to play in causing these three chronic diseases. Gut bacteria plays a role in weight gain, can stimulate or regular huger response & prevent obesity. Gut microbiota influence various metabolic parameters linked to body mass. Depending upon composition & diversity of our gut microbiome, it may extract more or less energy from the food & impacts how our body stores fat.
Besides, gut microbiomes also impact our endocrine system which is responsible for hunger, metabolism, satiety level as well as mood, behavior, sexual reproduction & sleep. Gut microbiome of obese people are said to have low gut bacterial diversity. Bacteria present in gut of obese people are better off in extracting energy from food resulting in increasing energy available in our body & hence increased storage of body fat.
Akkermansia muciniphila and Christensenella minuta are two bacteria that protect against obesity.
Beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria like Roseburia sp. and E. rectale tend to be less abundant in people suffering with obesity.
We at Genefitletics are focused on building a disease free world & improving the health span of people by introducing them to bacteria & other microorganisms living in our gut. If you are suffering from weight gain, bloating, low on energy, feel acidic or have high blood pressure, your gut microbiome is out of balance. Our Gut solution helps you learn about opportunistic pathogens & provide personalized dietary recommendations that can increase production of SCFA & overcome risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity & cardiovascular diseases. Start your disease free journey here.
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