yo-yo dieting can alter the microbiome in your gut
when our body responds to a crash diet by putting the pounds back on as soon as it can, some dieters begin to cycle, altering between extreme diets to lose the weight than soon after putting all the weight (and then some) back on, leading to another crash diet. this pattern, known as
yo-yo dieting
, can lead to a greater risk of developing
coronary heart disease
and decreasing general life satisfaction.
research also shows that yo-yo dieting can impact the microbiome in our gut. in a
study published in nature
, researchers exposed mice to either a consistent “normal chow” diet, a high-fat diet, or cycled between the two to mimic the effects of yo-yo dieting. the mice on the yo-yo diet gained weight at a faster pace than the mice who stayed consistently on a high-fat diet, with their second “cycle” putting them at a higher weight than before. both groups ended up with similar max weights, lending credibility to the idea that the body had adjusted to this new weight set point and was enforcing protective measures to return the body to that set point.
when researchers looked at the microbiome of the mice, they found the mice on the yo-yo diet had less microbe diversity than the mice who consistently stayed on the normal chow. specifically, the dieting mice had reduced levels of polyphenols (flavonoids) in their microbiome. when researchers transplanted the microbiome from the yo-yo dieting mice to the mice on the normal chow, they also began to put on weight.
while researchers explored methods of repopulating the flavonoid content of the mice by fecal transplants and a serious course of antibiotics, however, other writers and dietitians have
pointed out
that the best way to protect — or heal — your microbiome is to
eat a varied diet
rich in fibre, healthy fats, protein and fruits and veggies. a restrictive diet just won’t cut it.
3 minute read
