 |
|
15th
World Congress Clinical Nutrition
19th
– 22nd September 2010 El Sokhna Resort - Egypt
|
 |
|
|
| |
 |
Copyright © 2010.
WCCN2010.COM
All rights reserved |
|
 |
 |
Probiotics in weight
management ?/!
Anna Lyra , Arthur Ouwehand
Danisco Finland H&N, Sokeritehtantie
20, 02460 Kantvik, Finland
|
Globally, there are more than 1
billion overweight adults; at least
300 million of them are obese.
Obesity is accompanied with
increased health risks (Metabolic
Syndrome and certain forms of
cancer). The primary cause of
obesity is an imbalance between
energy expenditure and energy
intake, leading to the storage of
extra energy in adipose tissues. The
intestinal microbiota is estimated
to provide 5-10% of our energy needs
through fermentation of undigested
food components. Differences in
microbiota composition may therefore
influence the amount of energy that
can be harvested from consumed food.
This is indeed what research
suggests. Analysing the intestinal
microbiota composition of obese and
lean subjects, it was found that
these two populations differ in
their faecal microbiota. This was,
however, analysed on a very limited
number of subjects. Obese subjects
harboured more microbes of the
phylum Firmicutes while lean
subjects harboured more
Bacteroidetes. It is possible that
the Firmicutes are more effective in
harvesting energy from consumed
non-digestible food components then
Bacteroidetes. In addition to energy
harvesting, the intestinal
microbiota seems to be involved in
regulating the storage of energy in
the form of body fat, by suppressing
the hormone Fasting Induced
Adiposity Factor (Fiaf) which leads
to increased fat storage.
Antibiotics are known to modulate
the composition of the intestinal
microbiota and were, until their ban
in the EU, widely used to improve
production animal performance and
feed conversion. Prebiotics and
probiotics are other means of
modulating the intestinal microbiota
composition and activity. Prebiotics
usually aim at increasing the levels
and/or activity of genera such as
Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.
New prebiotic targets could be the
increase in Bacteroidetes and
concomitant reduction in Fermicutes.
It would, nevertheless, remain to be
determined that such a strategy
would lead to improved weight
management.
As for probiotics, they usually aim
at directly mediating health
benefits, not necessarily through
modulation of the intestinal
microbiota. But, of course a change
in the Bacteroidetes/Fermicutes
balance could be a new target,
changing the efficacy of microbial
colonic fermentation. Bacteroides
probiotics would be another option.
However, also for the traditional
probiotics (usually bifidobacteria
and lactobacilli) there may be
targets to aid in weight management.
Probiotics could aim at reducing
Fiaf and thus reduce fat storage.
Probiotics could also aim at
influencing the efficacy of
digestion. This is risky as it
interferes with a very basic
function and could cause
deficiencies. Finally, satiation and
satiety could be a target to
influence, by targeting the release
of satiating hormones. For these
potential targets, varying levels of
in vitro and animal data exist.
However, it remains to be shown that
they work in humans as well. In all,
it would seem unrealistic to assume
that obesity could be solved by
probiotics or prebiotics.
An alternative approach would
therefore be to relieve the health
risks associated with over weight;
Metabolic Syndrome. Selected
probiotics have been shown to
exhibit anti-inflammatory
properties; the underlying mechanism
of Metabolic Syndrome and could
possibly alleviate this.
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
:: :: :: :: |
|
