Abstract:
Research into the relationship between gut microbiota and obesity is expanding, revealing the complex connection between microbial composition and host metabolism. A diverse gut microbiota is typically linked to good health, contrasting with reduced diversity associated with conditions like obesity. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes dominate the gut microbiota, with obesity often showing shifts in their relative abundance. Certain bacterial genera, including Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium, are diminished in obese individuals, while Lactobacillus reuteri levels may be elevated, potentially contributing to weight gain. Dysbiosis, characterized by disrupted symbiotic interactions, is implicated in obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, leading to a leaky gut and inflammatory activation. Meta-analyses confirm significant microbiota composition changes in obesity, particularly in Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria, though the relationship between diversity and obesity remains intricate and incompletely understood. Strategies to combat obesity increasingly involve probiotics and prebiotics, which show promise in experimental and clinical studies for their anti-obesity effects. Probiotics can alter microbiota composition, influence hormones regulating appetite, increase energy expenditure, fortify the intestinal
barrier, and hinder lipid absorption, while prebiotics modulate microbiota composition, enhance gut barrier function, reduce inflammation, and impact appetite regulation and fat metabolism. Despite promising prospects, further research is needed to unravel mechanisms and develop effective microbiota-based therapies for managing obesity and related metabolic disorders. The talk will summarize the developments in the field of research on the connection between obesity and gut flora.
Audience Take Away:
- Understand the Relationship Between Gut Microbiota Composition and Obesity.
- Identify Key Microbial Players Implicated in Obesity.
- Will learn the Mechanisms by Which Probiotics and Prebiotics Influence Obesity.
- Evaluate the Potential of Microbiota-Based Therapies for Obesity Management.
