Gut microbiome composition may alter risk for obesity
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Key takeaways:
- Adults with a high obesity index had a lower abundance of Christensenella minuta.
- Certain species of gut bacteria affect obesity risk differently for men and women.
Some changes in gut microbiome composition may increase the risk for obesity, with those changes affecting men and women differently, according to data that will be presented at the European Congress on Obesity.
“We can reduce the risk of metabolic diseases by modulating the gut microbiome through nutritional and lifestyle factors, including dietary patterns, foods, exercise, probiotics and postbiotics,” Paula Aranaz, PhD, a researcher in the Center for Nutrition Research at the University of Navarra in Spain, told Healio. “These modifications depend on many factors, including sex, but also the host’s genetics, endocrine system and age. The knowledge of the gut microbiome function and regulation is an invaluable opportunity to develop new precision nutrition strategies, which could be specific to men and women.”
Researchers assessed data from 361 adults in Spain, of whom 65 had normal weight, 110 had overweight and 186 had obesity. BMI, fat mass and waist circumference were used to create an obesity index. Adults were considered to have a high obesity index if they had a BMI of more than 30 kg/m2, a fat mass percentage of greater than 25% for women or 32% for men or a waist circumference of more than 88 cm for women and more than 102 cm for men. Fecal and plasma samples were collected for all participants.
Adults with a high obesity index had a lower abundance of Christensenella minuta. Having a high obesity index was associated with greater levels of Parabacteroides helcogenes and Campylobacter canadensis species, both of which were associated with higher BMI, fat mass and waist circumference for men. Prevotella micans, P. brevis and P. sacharolitica were associated with a higher waist circumference for women, but not for men.
In untargeted metabolomics analyses, a differing abundance of metabolites such as bioactive phospholipids and sphingolipids were found between adults with a low obesity index and those with a high obesity index. Aranaz said sphingolipids were associated with a higher risk for obesity, but some metabolites of a similar nature were tied to a lower risk for obesity.
“In a variety of different diseases, sphingolipid metabolism has been reported to be disrupted,” Aranaz said. "Our results suggest that the regulation of sphingolipids may have a great impact in the development of novel therapeutic modalities in obesity, and gut microbiota could be determinant in this mechanism. In any case, additional studies are necessary to determine the functionality of these molecules.”
Aranaz said additional research is underway to tie metabolites identified in the study to bacterial species that may be producing the molecules as well as to better understand the biological effect that metabolites are having on people.
“We are working on replicating these data in new populations and identifying the molecular mechanisms by which these microorganisms and metabolites can exert their beneficial properties,” Aranaz said. “We have also the goal of designing a microbiota/metabolomic test that can be used in clinical practice to identify human enterotypes and to personalize the dietary strategies to minimize the health risks related to gut dysbiosis.”
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Aranaz P, et al. Abstract 641. Presented at: European Congress on Obesity; May 12-15, 2024; Venice, Italy.
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