Diabetes May be Caused by Bugs on Your Skin
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A new study may have uncovered how obesity leads to diabetes — and it has to do with the bugs that live in and on your body.
Obese people have different bacteria colonies on their bodies than healthy-weight people, say researchers. Now, a new study in the journal mBio indicates these bacteria colonies could be one factor in the metabolic changes and chronic inflammation that lead to diabetes.
Microbiologists at the University of Iowa found that when rabbits are chronically exposed to a toxin produced by staph bacteria — a superbug found in higher concentrations on the skin of people who are obese — they develop the hallmarks of type 2 diabetes: insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and inflammation.
“What we are finding is that as people gain weight, they are increasingly likely to be colonized by staph bacteria — to have large numbers of these bacteria living on the surface of their skin,” says lead researcher Patrick Schlievert, professor of microbiology at the university, in a statement. “People who are colonized by staph bacteria are being chronically exposed to the superantigens the bacteria are producing.”
“These staph colonies change the ecology of our body biomes — the balance between healthy and unhealthy bacteria on our skin and in our digestive tracts,” says Schlievert.
The good news is that you can empower your body biome and help it fight back against these invaders by feeding your gut bacteria the foods they — and you — need to stay healthy. Here are some of the best foods for your gut — a selection of the best superfoods from my latest book, Zero Belly Diet.
Gut Health Booster #8: Oatmeal with berries
What’s so magical about this combination? Each ingredient provides insoluble fiber that helps feed the healthy bacteria in your gut. By doing so, you trigger your gut to produce butyrate, a fatty acid that reduces fat-causing inflammation throughout your body. In a Canadian study, researchers discovered that those whose diets were supplemented with insoluble fiber had higher levels of ghrelin— a hormone that controls hunger. Shed pounds easily — and in minutes — by cooking up these essential, delicious and proven 14 Best Oatmeal Recipes for Weight Loss.
Gut Health Booster #7: Dark chocolate
A recent study found that antioxidants in cocoa prevented laboratory mice from gaining excess weight and actually lowered their blood sugar levels. And another study at Louisiana State University found that gut microbes in our stomach ferment chocolate into heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory compounds that shut down genes linked to insulin resistance and inflammation. To enhance the effects, try pairing your chocolate with some apple slices: The fruit speeds up the fermentation process, leading to an even greater reduction in inflammation and weight.
Gut Health Booster #6: Quinoa
Fiber-rich plant foods like quinoa feed our gut bugs, while helping to turn off the genes linked to insulin resistance and inflammation. But while most whole grains and fiber-rich vegetables help this process, quinoa deserves a special place in your daily diet because of its status as a complete protein — one of the few plants that can replace meat entirely. That’s important, because a Harvard study recently found that a diet based primarily on animal protein — especially one that involves a lot of food packaging and burger wrappers — can quickly alter the delicate balance of microbes in your belly. And reset your entire body — and mood — with this recommended and cleansing Ultimate One-Day Detox.
Gut Health Booster #5: Onions
In one Canadian study, subjects who were supplemented with a type of gut-healthy insoluble fiber called oligofructose not only lost weight but reported less hunger than those who received a placebo. Researchers discovered that the subjects who received the fiber had higher levels of ghrelin — a hormone that controls hunger — and lower levels of blood sugar. Ogliofructose is found in onions and leeks, as well as rye, barley, and Jerusalem artichokes.
Gut Health Booster #4: Greek yogurt
Don’t be fooled into thinking the offerings at Pinkberry are going to do your body biome right. All of the processing that frozen yogurt goes through kills off most of the healthy cultures. And even most yogurts you buy in the dairy section are so high in sugar that they’ll do more for the bad bacteria in your belly than they will for the good. If you choose to eat yogurt, look for the words “live active cultures” on the label, and for brands with less than 20 grams of sugar per serving. Most Greek yogurts are higher in protein and lower in sugar than their non-Greek counterparts. 9 Best Yogurts for Weight Loss.
Gut Health Booster #3: Gluten-free bread
Recent studies have found that gluten can negatively impact gut bacteria, even in people who are not gluten-sensitive. Gluten-free whole grains (like brown rice or quinoa) contain a nutrient called betaine, an amino acid that positively influences the genetic mechanism for insulin resistance and visceral fat.
Gut Health Booster #2: Beans
You can think of every bean or lentil as the equivalent of a little weight-loss pill. That’s not far from the truth: legumes like peas, beans, lentils and peanuts are rich in resistant starch, which has a very minimal impact on your blood sugar levels because it passes through the body undigested, feeding the healthy bacteria at the bottom of your digestive tract. That’s just one of the life-changing tips in our free new special report, 14 Ways to Lose Your Belly in 14 Days.
Gut Health Booster #1: Sushi
It may be counterintuitive to eat raw fish to help improve your belly biome, but choosing raw or lightly cooked meats over other forms of protein can give your gut bugs the edge. When you cook meat at high temperatures, chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are produced. According to a study in Nutrition Journal, increased intake of HCAs causes changes to our gut microbiota that increases the risk of colorectal cancer.
STRIP AWAY BELLY FAT and lose up to 16 pounds in just 14 days — while eating the foods you love — with this free bonus chapter from the new Zero Belly Diet!
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