New research suggests an injection of beneficial bacteria might do the trick
of ConsumerAffairsIn the last year, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic became so popular as weight loss drugs that there was a mid-year shortage. These drugs are also expensive.
Newly published research from the University of Colorado Boulder suggests there could be a low-cost alternative that doesnt involve working out or starving yourself: beneficial bacteria.
Published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, the study found that animals injected weekly with a microorganism found in cows milk and soil were essentially immune to weight gain from a high-fat, high-sugar diet.
"What is so striking about this study is that we saw a complete prevention of diet-related weight gain in these animals," said Christopher Lowry, the study's senior author and a professor of integrative physiology.
This suggests that exposure to beneficial bacteria can shield us from some adverse health effects associated with the typical Western diet.
Reconnecting with old friends
Scientists say this research highlights the benefits of "old friends," a term for healthy bacteria that evolved alongside humans but have become less prevalent as societies have shifted to more sterile, urban environments. Lowry notes that losing contact with these bacteria has heightened our risk for inflammatory diseases.
In previous studies, Lowry demonstrated that Mycobacterium vaccae (M. vaccae), found in cows milk and soil, can prevent stress-induced inflammation and related health issues in mice. These findings have led him to explore the potential for a "stress vaccine" derived from these microbes.
In the current study, Lowry and PhD candidate Luke Desmond investigated whether M. vaccae could also mitigate brain inflammation and anxiety linked to poor diets. Adolescent mice were divided into groups, with some receiving a standard diet and others consuming a high-fat, high-sugar diet akin to junk food. Half of each group received weekly injections of M. vaccae.
Despite consuming similar calorie amounts, the untreated junk food group began gaining significantly more weight than the healthy eaters after six weeks. By the study's conclusion, they weighed about 16% more and had more visceral fat, which increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Remarkably, the junk food group that received M. vaccae injections showed no difference in weight gain compared to the healthy eaters and had less visceral fat.
"This finding suggests that M. vaccae effectively prevents the excessive weight gain induced by a Western-style diet," Desmond explained.
Practical implications
While more research is needed to understand how M. vaccae prevents weight gain and whether it can do so in humans, Lowry is optimistic. He hypothesizes that M. vaccae may directly influence immune cells to reduce inflammation, enhance fat health, and boost metabolism.
Future studies may explore whether oral consumption of M. vaccae has similar effects and if it could aid weight loss in overweight individuals. For now, Lowry advises reconnecting with beneficial bacteria by spending time in nature, gardening, and consuming fresh vegetables.
Despite the challenges of avoiding junk food, which Lowery says constitutes over half of grocery store offerings, the researcher emphasizes the potential of restoring exposure to these "old friends" to prevent weight gain and other health issues, even consuming a Western diet.
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Posted: 2025-01-16 12:07:04
