Key points:
- Specific gut microbiota is highly predictive of obesity measures including BMI, waist circumference and fat mass.
- These microbiota species have been found to differ significantly between men and women.
- Researchers can leverage these methods to develop sex-specific strategies for weight loss that modify specific bacteria strains.
Scientists know that disrupting gut microbiota can affect metabolic health and influence the risk of diseases including obesity, but it is not yet clear which species are associated with a greater or lesser likelihood of developing obesity.
Now, new research, presented at the European Congress on Obesity, uncovers changes in the composition of gut bacteria that are linked to the onset and development of obesity. These findings provide insight into the development of metabolic disease in both men and women.
To examine how these microorganisms contribute to obesity, researchers analyzed metagenomic and metabolomic data from 361 Spanish male and female participants. Participants were classified according to an obesity (OB) index consisting of BMI, waist circumference, and fat mass. Researchers then examined the participants’ fecal metabolome to identify the different types, composition, diversity, and relative abundance of bacteria.
The team found that individuals with a high OB index had significantly lower levels of Christensenella minuta, which has been linked to leanness and health. They also found that men had a greater abundance of Parabacteroides helcogenes and Campylobacter candensis – species associated with higher BMI, fat mass and waist circumference. Conversely, women had a greater abundance of Prevotella micans, Prevotella brevis, and Prevotella sacharolitica. These three species were only predictive of higher BMI, fat mass, and waist circumference in women.
“Our findings reveal how an imbalance in distinct bacterial groups are likely to play an important role in the onset and development of obesity,” said lead author Paula Aranaz of the University of Navarra. “The considerable differences between the sexes might affect the metabolism of different bioactive molecules present in the metabolome that influence the development of metabolic disease.”
Combining metagenomics and metabolomics allows for accurate study of the mechanisms involved in the development of metabolic diseases including obesity. Researchers can leverage these methods to develop nutritional precision strategies for weight loss that modify specific bacteria strains.