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We all lead busy lives, with work, family, and social obligations taking up most of our time. It’s easy to forget about maintaining a proper diet or exercising on a regular basis. Before you know it, you’ve gained weight and when you finally commit to shedding those extra pounds, it may be tougher than you expected. When it comes to losing weight, there may be one factor that plays an important role: gut bacteria.
What Does Gut Bacteria Do To You?
Don’t let the term scare you. Everybody has gut bacteria; it’s part of our genetic makeup. A study by the Mayo Clinic Obesity Treatment Research Program revealed that gut bacteria helps process food particles in your body and provides you with extra energy.
As your gut bacteria breaks down food and energizes you, it helps make losing weight easier. That’s a good thing, right? Not so fast.
Not All Gut Bacteria Are Created Equally
Unfortunately, gut bacteria doesn’t work the same for everybody. While it can help you lose weight, it can also hinder your weight loss. Different types of gut bacteria may affect people differently.
You can diet and exercise all you want, but the study found that those little microbes in your body may still inhibit your ability to lose weight.
It’s Genetics But It’s Not The End
Thankfully, diet and exercise are still the best way to maintain good health and keep your weight manageable.
Although this study showed the importance of gut bacteria, it doesn’t mean you can’t shed pounds in the old fashioned way. By watching what you eat and exercising regularly, you’ll still be able to lose weight, even if it’s not as easy as we once believed.