We probably can't blame our gut bugs for our weight

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-09-04 09:01

International

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Past research has suggested that the gut microbiome was linked to obesity, but British researchers says this is likely not the case. The team says the old research was based on transferring gut bugs from one obese mouse to another, and recent attempts to translate this into humans have not been successful.

Media release

From: The Royal Society

Questioning the foundations of the gut microbiota and obesity

High-profile research indicating links between the gut microbiota and excess body weight were not based on robust and repeatable results and have not been supported by later research. This literature review undertook a critical appraisal of the early animal research, and data from subsequent human trials, and points to potentially diminished role of the gut microbiota in the development of obesity.

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Research The Royal Society, Web page The URL will go live after the embargo ends (Royal Society links are notorious for being late to go live)

Journal/
conference: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Quadram Institute Bioscience, UK

Funder: The author states "I received no funding for this study."

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