Due to obesity increasing the risk of developing chronic conditions like strokes and heart disease, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight must be prioritised. However, besides paying attention to diet and exercise, weight management can also be approached through gut health.

Research published in the journal Cureus notes the significant impact of gut health on weight loss and obesity since the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in weight-related processes like digestion and metabolism. Furthermore, the group of microorganisms in the digestive system can help reduce chronic inflammation. Inflammation can make the body more resistant to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar, and leptin, the hormone responsible for signalling satiety — making it a risk factor for unhealthy weight gain.

Given this complex connection between the gut microbiome and body weight, below are helpful ways to boost your gut health and lose weight more effectively and sustainably.

RELATED: How to Test Your Gut Health at Home?

Add fermented foods to your diet

Fermentation not only enhances the flavour, texture, and nutritional value of foods but also creates new compounds that can diversify the array of bacteria in the gut. As such, fermented foods are essential for supporting digestion and metabolism in weight loss diets.

Among the fermented foods to add to your diet are sauerkraut, which contains vitamins C and K to reduce inflammation, and yogurt, which aids in weight management while also balancing your blood sugar and blood pressure for overall health. Additionally, these foods are high in fibre and protein, which are nutrients that support weight loss by boosting feelings of fullness and preventing overeating.

Limit consumption of processed foods

As you focus on nutrient-rich fermented foods in your weight loss diet, it’s only right that you also limit your consumption of processed foods. These foods are typically high in calories but low in nutrients, as they mostly contain preservatives, added salt and sugars, and artificial sweeteners.

Common examples of processed foods include packaged bread, chips, breakfast cereals, cakes, biscuits, and soft drinks. The good news is that it’s easy to slowly eliminate such foods from your diet since you can replace them with healthier options, such as whole-wheat bread and pasta, granola bars, and fresh fruit juices.

Consider prescription medications

As previously discussed, poor gut health can be a risk factor associated with obesity since it disrupts insulin function and makes it harder for the body to break down glucose properly. Fortunately, people who struggle with losing weight and keeping it off can address the biology of overweight or obesity through prescription medications that regulate insulin, such as GLP-1 agonists.

GLP-1 for weight loss works by activating the brain and gut hormones responsible for appetite control and satiety, thus helping individuals stick to their healthy diets and curb unnecessary cravings. While GLP-1s are FDA-approved, they still require a prescription once you meet the requirements of a body mass index of 30 or higher, or 27 or more with a weight-related complication like hypertension.

Monitor your gut health regularly

Lastly, you can boost your gut health and meet your weight goals by regularly monitoring the diversity and strength of your gut bacteria. In this case, a previous post discusses the option of at-home gut test kits that provide full-scale gut microbiome analyses so you can learn more about the state of your gut and overall health.

These at-home tests typically require a stool sample to identify the beneficial bacteria in your gut, as well as recommend probiotics that can address gut-related symptoms like inflammation. However, they should not replace medical advice, thus making it crucial to still visit a healthcare professional for a more comprehensive analysis of your gut health and how to improve it for effective weight loss.

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