The good bacteria in our gut can digest the fiber we eat, and turn it into an anti-obesity compound—called propionate—that we absorb back into our system.
Fawning over Flora
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Obesity is so rare among those eating plant-based diets. Nutrition researchers have been desperate to uncover their secret. Yes, they tend to eat fewer calories—but not that many fewer.
In the past, I’ve gone through a couple of theories that have emerged. Maybe it’s because people eating plant-strong diets express more of the fat-shoveling enzyme inside the power plants inside the mitochondria within their cells. Maybe it’s because they grow different populations of good bacteria in their gut. Maybe it’s because they’re avoiding the obesogenic, endocrine-disrupting industrial pollutants in the meat supply. An obesity-causing virus in poultry may even be contributing. We’re still not sure, but the theories keep coming.
Here’s the latest. Maybe it’s the propionate? After all, what’s one of the things that’s only in plant foods, and never in animal foods? It’s fiber. Animals have bones to hold them up; plants have fiber to hold them up.
I thought fiber was defined, though, by our inability to digest it. Sure, we can’t break it down, but the gazillions of good bacteria in our guts can. What do they make with it? Propionate, which gets absorbed into our bloodstream. So, technically we can digest fiber—but just not without a little help from our little friends.
What does propionate do? Well, it inhibits cholesterol synthesis; that’s nice. It also appears to have a hypophagic effect—meaning it helps us eat less. Apparently, by slowing down the rate at which our food empties from our stomachs, thereby making us feel fuller, longer. Propionate may either regulate food intake, or the generation of new fat cells, resulting in an overall anti-obesity effect. One of the many ways fiber-containing foods—meaning whole plant foods—can help us control our weight.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by MaryAnn Allison.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Tang-Péronard JL, Andersen HR, Jensen TK, Heitmann BL. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and obesity development in humans: a review. Obes Rev. 2011 Aug;12(8):622-36.
- Arora T, Sharma R, Frost G. Propionate. Anti-obesity and satiety enhancing factor? Appetite. 2011 Apr;56(2):511-5.
- Pasarica M, Dhurandhar NV. Infectobesity: obesity of infectious origin. Adv Food Nutr Res. 2007;52:61-102.
- Liszt K, Zwielehner J, Handschur M, Hippe B, Thaler R, Haslberger AG. Characterization of bacteria, clostridia and Bacteroides in faeces of vegetarians using qPCR and PCR-DGGE fingerprinting. Ann Nutr Metab. 2009;54(4):253-7.
- Farmer B, Larson BT, Fulgoni VL 3rd, Rainville AJ, Liepa GU. A vegetarian dietary pattern as a nutrient-dense approach to weight management: an analysis of the national health and nutrition examination survey 1999-2004. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011 Jun;111(6):819-27.
- Tonstad S, Butler T, Yan R, Fraser GE. Type of Vegetarian Diet, Body Weight, and Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009 May;32(5):791-6.
- Karlic H, Schuster D, Varga F, Klindert G, Lapin A, Haslberger A, Handschur M. Vegetarian diet affects genes of oxidative metabolism and collagen synthesis. Ann Nutr Metab. 2008;53(1):29-32.
- Davey GK, Spencer EA, Appleby PN, Allen NE, Knox KH, Key TJ. EPIC-Oxford: lifestyle characteristics and nutrient intakes in a cohort of 33 883 meat-eaters and 31 546 non meat-eaters in the UK. Public Health Nutr. 2003 May;6(3):259-69.
Image thanks to Osborn via Wikimedia Commons
Obesity is so rare among those eating plant-based diets. Nutrition researchers have been desperate to uncover their secret. Yes, they tend to eat fewer calories—but not that many fewer.
In the past, I’ve gone through a couple of theories that have emerged. Maybe it’s because people eating plant-strong diets express more of the fat-shoveling enzyme inside the power plants inside the mitochondria within their cells. Maybe it’s because they grow different populations of good bacteria in their gut. Maybe it’s because they’re avoiding the obesogenic, endocrine-disrupting industrial pollutants in the meat supply. An obesity-causing virus in poultry may even be contributing. We’re still not sure, but the theories keep coming.
Here’s the latest. Maybe it’s the propionate? After all, what’s one of the things that’s only in plant foods, and never in animal foods? It’s fiber. Animals have bones to hold them up; plants have fiber to hold them up.
I thought fiber was defined, though, by our inability to digest it. Sure, we can’t break it down, but the gazillions of good bacteria in our guts can. What do they make with it? Propionate, which gets absorbed into our bloodstream. So, technically we can digest fiber—but just not without a little help from our little friends.
What does propionate do? Well, it inhibits cholesterol synthesis; that’s nice. It also appears to have a hypophagic effect—meaning it helps us eat less. Apparently, by slowing down the rate at which our food empties from our stomachs, thereby making us feel fuller, longer. Propionate may either regulate food intake, or the generation of new fat cells, resulting in an overall anti-obesity effect. One of the many ways fiber-containing foods—meaning whole plant foods—can help us control our weight.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by MaryAnn Allison.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Tang-Péronard JL, Andersen HR, Jensen TK, Heitmann BL. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and obesity development in humans: a review. Obes Rev. 2011 Aug;12(8):622-36.
- Arora T, Sharma R, Frost G. Propionate. Anti-obesity and satiety enhancing factor? Appetite. 2011 Apr;56(2):511-5.
- Pasarica M, Dhurandhar NV. Infectobesity: obesity of infectious origin. Adv Food Nutr Res. 2007;52:61-102.
- Liszt K, Zwielehner J, Handschur M, Hippe B, Thaler R, Haslberger AG. Characterization of bacteria, clostridia and Bacteroides in faeces of vegetarians using qPCR and PCR-DGGE fingerprinting. Ann Nutr Metab. 2009;54(4):253-7.
- Farmer B, Larson BT, Fulgoni VL 3rd, Rainville AJ, Liepa GU. A vegetarian dietary pattern as a nutrient-dense approach to weight management: an analysis of the national health and nutrition examination survey 1999-2004. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011 Jun;111(6):819-27.
- Tonstad S, Butler T, Yan R, Fraser GE. Type of Vegetarian Diet, Body Weight, and Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009 May;32(5):791-6.
- Karlic H, Schuster D, Varga F, Klindert G, Lapin A, Haslberger A, Handschur M. Vegetarian diet affects genes of oxidative metabolism and collagen synthesis. Ann Nutr Metab. 2008;53(1):29-32.
- Davey GK, Spencer EA, Appleby PN, Allen NE, Knox KH, Key TJ. EPIC-Oxford: lifestyle characteristics and nutrient intakes in a cohort of 33 883 meat-eaters and 31 546 non meat-eaters in the UK. Public Health Nutr. 2003 May;6(3):259-69.
Image thanks to Osborn via Wikimedia Commons
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Title
Fawning over Flora
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Content URLDoctor's Note
I thought this was so fascinating I included it in my 2012 presentation, Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death. The fat-shoveling enzyme theory I mention is covered in How to Upregulate Metabolism. I mention the differential good bacteria in Boosting Good Bacteria in the Colon Without Probiotics. How slim are those eating plant-based diets? For more on fabulous fiber, see What Women Should Eat to Live Longer; and Relieving Yourself of Excess Estrogen (also covered in How Fiber Lowers Cholesterol).
For more context, check out my associated blog posts: Stool Size and Breast Cancer Risk; Boosting Gut Flora Without Probiotics; Treating Parkinson’s Disease With Diet; Avoid Carnitine and Lethicin Supplements; Schoolchildren Should Drink More Water; and How Probiotics Affect Mental Health.
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