Excess calories humans consume are stored by the body as fat. The amount of fat stored reflects many factors including stress, diet, metabolic rates, the microbiome of the gastrointestinal system and more.
Whether focused on weight loss or gain, research indicates that the microbiome plays a role. A meta-data analysis from 2022 looked at gut microbiota diversity, composition and intestinal permeability as factors associated with “obesity, systemic inflammation and insulin resistance…”
The study concluded that “Increasing weight loss is positively associated with increases in gut microbiota diversity and reductions in intestinal permeability.”
The gut microbiome is the community microorganisms – bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other organisms – in the gastrointestinal system: “The gut microbiota exists symbiotically within the human digestive system and helps support energy harvesting, digestion, and immune defense.”
A 2011 article in Nature introduced the idea of gut enterotypes based on the dominant bacteria species in each. These types are associated with weight and other health concerns. The signatures in this kit represent the enterotypes in a mature humans. While three main enterotypes are identified, some consider there to be more. Some are common in westernized countries and some rare and may change with diet, antibiotic exposure, stress and more.
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