How can eating fruits and vegetables help in managing weight

Fruits, vegetables, and cooked meals can help regulate weight since they contain resistant starch, according to a report published in a medical journal.

Green bananas, beans, peas, whole grains such as oats and barley, and cooked rice can help with weight control.

Experts from Shanghai 6th People's Hospital published a paper in the well-known journal Nature Metabolism on how resistant starch intake aids weight loss in humans by altering the gut microbiome.

They argued that resistant starch and a well-balanced diet can help with obesity by improving gut microbial composition.

The study found that microbiota-targeted therapy can have a considerable impact on metabolic illnesses, offering fresh promise for microbial therapies.

Obesity is a chronic condition that has emerged as a global public health concern.

Exploring successful weight-management strategies has major implications for general health.

The imbalance of intestinal flora is regarded as one of the causes of obesity, and dietary intervention-assisted intestinal microecology repair is a promising therapy strategy.

This study focused on resistant starch, which is the fraction of starch that is not digested in the small intestine, and a type of prebiotic fiber that is fermented in the colon by microbes, resulting in the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids, which may have some metabolic consequences.

Dr Jia Weiping headed a medical team that conducted a series of studies on RS-related dietary treatment for metabolic illnesses.

After an 8-week study, people who received an RS intervention had significant decreases in body weight and other obesity-related outcomes. Their glucose tolerance also increased dramatically.

According to experts, the intervention can boost the abundance of Bifdobacterium adolescentis, a gut microbiota recognized for establishing many metabolic and physiologic interactions with the host, which is the main bacteria that allows resistant starch to help alleviate overweight and obesity.

In a subsequent animal experiment, researchers discovered that B. adolescentis, a species that is strongly connected with the reduction of obesity in study participants, protects male mice from diet-induced obesity.

Changes in the gut microbiota caused by RS change the profile of bile acids, lower inflammation by fixing the intestinal barrier, and stop the absorption of fat.

"Through the research, we demonstrate that resistant starch can facilitate weight loss at least partially through B. adolescentis and that the gut microbiota is essential for the action of resistant starch," said Jia Weiping, a top specialist in the field.

"It offers a fresh perspective on obesity control and prevention, as resistant starch is widely present in many foods and may also be turned into dietary supplements. It is a beneficial, cost-effective, and sustainable intervention."