Scientists have made a major breakthrough that could help solve the persistent problem of obesity. They have found that temporary calorie restriction can lead to significant changes in the gut and brain, which could open up new avenues for healthy weight management.
Chinese researchers conducted an intermittent energy restriction (IER) program, which involves controlled calorie intake and fasting on some days, and observed 25 overweight volunteers for 62 days.
Participants reportedly lost about 7.6 kilograms, or 7.8 percent of their body weight. They also observed a shift in brain activity in regions associated with obesity and the buildup of gut bacteria.
“Here, we show that an IER diet alters the human brain-gut microbiome axis,” said Qiang Zeng, a health researcher from the Second Medical Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases in China, according to Science Alert. The study was published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology in December 2023.
“The observed changes in the gut microbiome and the activity of addiction-relevant brain regions during and after weight loss are highly dynamic and temporally coupled.”
While it is unclear what caused these changes, knowing the close connection between the gut and the brain may help control food intake by treating specific regions of the brain.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used to observe changes in the brain regions that regulate appetite and addiction, as well as in the inferior frontal orbital gyrus. Changes in the gut microbiome, associated with similar brain activity, have also been identified by analyzing blood and stool samples.
“The gut microbiome is thought to communicate with the brain in complex, reciprocal ways,” said Xiaoning Wang, a medical scientist at the State Clinic Center for Geriatrics in China.
“The microbiome produces neurotransmitters and neurotoxins that reach the brain via nerves and the bloodstream. In turn, the brain controls eating behavior, while nutrients from our diet change the composition of the gut microbiome.”
More than a billion people worldwide suffer from obesity, which in turn increases the risk of other serious health problems such as heart disease and cancer. Understanding how the brain and gut work can lead to significant changes in the treatment and prevention of obesity.
“The next question to be answered is the exact mechanism by which the gut microbiome and the brain communicate in obese people, even during weight loss,” said Liming Wang, a biomedical scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“Which specific gut microbiomes and brain regions are critical for successful weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight?”
(With contributions from agencies)
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