Weight Loss Microbe

Of all the bacteria in and on our bodies that we need for good health, there's one that may determine whether some people are obese.

The bacterium called Akkermansia muciniphila is in the layer of mucous that coats the surface of the lining of the intestinal tract. In a healthy person, this bacterium comprises 3-5% of all bacteria present, which is a lot.

A recent study found the amount of these bacteria in your intestinal tract is highly correlated with your body weight. This means that low numbers of it are correlated with obesity and Type 2 diabetes, and high numbers are linked to a healthy weight.

Researchers made this discovery using a mouse study. Mice fed a high fat diet became obese and had 100 times lower levels of Akkermansia muciniphila than mice fed the normal diet.

The next part of the experiment sealed the deal. When the obese mice on a high fat diet were fed this bacterium, they lost weight and began showing lower insulin resistance, suggesting they were no longer pre-diabetic.

The mucous layer in the intestinal tract also began to thicken, which increased the levels of endocannabinoids. These chemicals are a family of small molecules in the gut that control inflammation and the integrity of the gut barrier. They also positively regulate glucose homeostasis which, again, can affect whether a person gets diabetes.

We can just imagine a yogurt company one day adding this bacteria to the family of probiotics already in yogurt today.