Gut Microbiota and Obesity: Austin Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome
Obesity has been linked with the imbalances in the composition of gut microbiota which may be either species or genus specific. Gut microbiota has extremely complex composition comprising of more than thousands of different microbial species. Recent evidences revealed that gut microbial alteration in composition and diversity contribute significantly in etiopathogenesis of obesity and related metabolic disorders. Age, lifestyle, wide range of dietary habits and geographical origin of the people may have an impact on microbial ecology of the human gut. Link between gut microbiota and obesity has been proposed through various mechanisms. Differences in the composition of intestinal bacterial in obese and normal weight individuals seem to be key factor in energy homeostasis. Modulation of gut microbiota by supplementation of prebiotics and probiotics can be a potential therapeutic target in the management of obesity and overweight. As intestinal microbiota plays important role in obesity, energy homeostasis and inflammation; its use in weight reduction seems to be promising tool for researchers. Research investigating mechanism of exact interaction of gut microbiota with body weight and energy homeostasis is in infancy. But in future, modulation of gut microbiota with the help supplementation of prebiotics and probiotics appears to be safe promising adjunct in the management of obesity.