Gut bacteria determines best diet for weight loss

A new Swiss research can allow for "tailored" diet advice - based on personal gut microbiome for those who want to lose weight and reduce the risk of disease.Scientists at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have for the first time identified in detail how some of our most common intestinal bacteria interact during metabolism. The researchers have developed a mathematical calculation platform that makes it possible to predict how different patients will respond to a modified diet, depending on how their gut microbiome is composed. "This method allows us to begin identifying each individual bacteria type's metabolism and thus get a handle on the basic mechanisms in human metabolism," said Jens Nielsen, professor of systems biology at Chalmers and head of the research team. There can be up to 1,000 different types of bacteria and other microorganisms in the human digestive system, many of which take part in metabolism in one way or another.