Modulation of Gut Microbiota for Obesity Management

Obesity is a complex chronic disease characterized by excessive fat deposits that affects our health negatively. Current research suggests that gut microbiota may play a role in the development of obesity and its associated health related conditions. Gut microbiota can impact energy extraction from food, lipid metabolism, immune response, and endocrine functions. The composition of gut microbiota has been found to differ between obese and lean individuals. Moreover, it has been found that different obesity treatments affect the diversity and composition of the intestinal microbiome, raising concerns about how these changes might influence weight loss outcomes. Research suggests that probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics can influence the release of hormones, neurotransmitters, and inflammatory factors, therefore reducing the triggers for food consumption that contribute to weight gain; however, more research is needed. Several studies on both animals and humans suggest that modifying the bacterial strains in the digestive tract can reshape the metabolic profile of obese individuals. Fecal microbiota transformation has also lately appeared as a treatment possibility in obesity and other metabolic diseases which will also be discussed in this paper. The aim of the following meta-analysis is to determine if modulating gut microbiota through probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and fecal transplantation can promote weight loss in individuals with obesity and overweight.