Researchers found a strong link between body fat to bacteria in faeces read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/1008-researchers-found-a-strong-link-between-body-fat-to-bacteria-in-faeces

Researchers from King's College London, says, the bacteria found in human faeces may influence levels of dangerous fat in our bodies. In a study of more than 3,600 twins found evidence that some of these bacteria are inherited.

The research team extracted information from study participants about the human faecal microbiome, the bacteria present in faeces samples and compared different measures of obesity, including body mass index (BMI) and different types of body fat.

The researchers found the strongest links with visceral fat, where participants with a high diversity of bacteria in their faeces had lower levels of visceral fat.

This type of body fat is bad news because it is stored in the stomach area around important organs such as the liver, pancreas and intestines and is linked with higher risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Dr. Michelle Beaumont, lead author of study from the department of twin research and genetic epidemiology at King's College London, said, the study showed a clear link, it was not yet possible to explain why it existed.

One theory is that a lack of variety in faecal bacteria could lead to the domination of high levels of gut microbes which are good at turning carbohydrates into fat.

Beaumont said, this was an observational study, we cannot say precisely how communities of bacteria in the gut might influence the storage of fat in the body, or whether a different mechanism is involved in weight gain.

She indicated more research was needed to investigate how microbes in our guts and in our faces can influence our health. However, there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that gut bacteria may play a role in obesity.

Dr. Beaumont said that, eating a broad diet including a variety of different types of food much like that of the early hunter gatherers could increase the diversity of microbes in our faces.

If the theory that microbes are passed down the generation is correct, they may play an important role in how fat develops around the body and the health risk it presents.