Manipulating the microbiome could help manage weight

Posted August 26th, 2012 by PCC STEM & filed under Biology, News.

Vaccines and antibiotics may someday join caloric restriction or bariatric surgery as a way to regulate weight gain, according to a new study focused on the interactions between diet, the bacteria that live in the bowel, and the immune system. "Diet-induced obesity depends not just on calories ingested but also on the host's microbiome," said the study's senior author. For most people, he said, "host digestion is not completely efficient, but changes in the gut flora can raise or lower digestive efficiency."

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