In breakthrough discovery, Chinese scientists find new way to control obesity

Scientists have made a significant breakthrough that may help deal with the ongoing challenge of obesity. They have discovered that intermittent calorie restriction can cause significant changes in the gut and the brain, which may open up new ways for healthy weight management.

Chinese researchers conducted an intermittent energy restriction (IER) programme, which involves controlled calorie intake and fasting on some days. It involved observing 25 obese volunteers for 62 days.

The participants reportedly lost about 7.6 kilogrammes, 7.8 per cent of their body weight. A shift in brain activity in obesity-related regions and the formation of gut bacteria were also observed.

"Here we show that an IER diet changes the human brain-gut-microbiome axis," said Qiang Zeng, a health researcher from the Second Medical Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases in China, according to Science Alert. The study was published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology in December 2023.

"The observed changes in the gut microbiome and in the activity in addiction-related brain regions during and after weight loss are highly dynamic and coupled over time."

While it is unclear what resulted in these changes, knowing that the gut and brain are closely related can help in controlling food intake by treating specific regions of the brain.

Through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, changes were observed in the brain regions that regulate appetite and addiction, along with the inferior frontal orbital gyrus. Gut microbiome changes linked to similar brain activity were also noticed by analysing blood and stool samples.

"The gut microbiome is thought to communicate with the brain in a complex, two-directional way," said Xiaoning Wang, medical scientist from the State Clinic Center for Geriatrics, China.

"The microbiome produces neurotransmitters and neurotoxins, which access the brain through nerves and the blood circulation. In return, the brain controls eating behaviour, while nutrients from our diet change the composition of the gut microbiome."

Over a billion people globally are known to suffer from obesity, which is a major contributor to the risk of other serious health issues, including heart disease and cancer. Understanding how the brain and gut function together can bring about remarkable change in treating and preventing obesity.

"The next question to be answered is the precise mechanism by which the gut microbiome and the brain communicate in obese people, including during weight loss," said Liming Wang, a biomedical scientist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"What specific gut microbiome and brain regions are critical for successful weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight?"

(With inputs from agencies)