Intestinal Bacteria May Help Cause Obesity

Studies have recently found that bacteria stored in the large intestine may stump the calorie burning activity of good “brown” fat as opposed to bad “white” fat. Bacteria in the trillions can play a role in the immune system as well as digestion. Tests performed on mice without large-intestine bacteria have found that the brown fat did more to maintain a healthy weight. These tests also helped determine that brown fat activity is linked to gender, as male mice that weren’t germ-free gained more weight than females. This research has helped begin to find solutions to obesity and how brown fat can be stimulated and controlled to maintain weight.