Learning about Inflammation, Elimination, Gut Health and Overweight

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Did you know that some foods you eat can cause you to gain weight or not lose weight because of inflammation?

Inflammation from food is a pretty common problem in modern culture, especially in the United States. Just a generation ago, and even today in many countries, it would be unthinkable that mass produced meals, fried foods and sugary drinks would be the main source of nutrition for many people. And for many people, inflammatory foods can cause serious symptoms and health concerns for those who are lactose intolerant, have celiac disease or other allergies. You may be one of them.

But what you may not realize is that inflammation from foods is often a very large factor in being overweight.  Weight gain (or weight loss) is not just about how many calories you eat and whether you “burn” those calories through exercise. Many people have trouble losing weight even though they eat less. There are many reasons for that, but one of them can be due to inflammation of the intestinal tract or “gut.” 

Your body contains trillions of bacteria. The majority of them are in your intestines. Those bacteria play many roles in your health, such as communicating with your immune system and producing certain vitamins. Your gut bacteria can also affect how different foods are digested and produce chemicals that help make you feel full. As a result, they can affect your weight.  

Since gut bacteria are in your intestines, they come into contact with the food you eat. This may affect what nutrients you absorb and how energy is stored in your body.  In a study of 77 pairs of twins, one of whom was obese and one of whom was not, it was discovered that those who were obese had different gut bacteria than their non-obese twin. In particular, obesity was associated with lower gut bacteria diversity, meaning there were fewer types of bacteria in the gut. 

Other studies have shown that if the gut bacteria from obese people are put into mice, the mice gain weight. This suggests that gut bacteria could affect weight. This may be due to the effect of bacteria on the digestion of different foods. For example, humans can’t digest fiber but certain gut bacteria can. By digesting fiber, these gut bacteria produce a number of chemicals that benefit gut health and possibly promote weight loss. 

So, eating a diet rich in healthy fats, complex and fibrous carbohydrates, lean proteins and foods that promote a diversity of healthy bacteria and don’t inflame your gut, will help you succeed in a way other “diets” did not. And that’s because those other diets focused only on calorie, fat or carb REDUCTION, rather than healthy food CONSUMPTION. 

So what foods can cause weight gain both in general and because of inflammation? 

Sugary foods:  OK. This one is no brainer and probably tops the list of foods to avoid. A diet high in sugar can stimulate the growth of certain unhealthy bacteria in the gut, which can contribute to weight gain and other chronic health disorders. Also, artificial sweeteners reduce beneficial bacteria in the intestines, which may contribute to high blood sugar. We’ll discuss sugar in tomorrow’s lesson in detail.

Unhealthy Fats:  Foods containing too many saturated fats may contribute to the growth of disease-causing bacteria.  Healthy fats on the other hand, such as omega-3’s from fish and other sources support beneficial bacteria in the intestines and actually can promote weight loss. 

So if you’re trying to lose weight or feel better overall, cutting out simple sugars and unhealthy fats is a great start. 

Other common sources of inflammation for most people are Dairy, Wheat, Gluten, Soy, Peanuts and Alcohol. When seeking an optimal weight and optimal wellness, eliminating these foods for a period of time as part of an overall weight loss or wellness program are a a great way to jump start your success. After an elimination phase, you can introduce most of those foods back into your diet in moderation, depending on your own sensitivities and move into a lifestyle diet for long term weight maintenance.  

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