Weight Loss Archives - Dr. Tali Troyansky ND

Weight Loss & Probiotics

Is there a link between your Gut Health to your Weight?

Evidence shows that gut health and probiotics have huge impact on your weight, weight loss journey and your hunger issues!

Your gut is composed of many different probiotics strains. These probiotics are tiny but have huge impacts. Today, we will focus on the link to obesity: as they alter fat storage, fat synthesis, excess energy storage, metabolites, hormones, neurotransmitters.

Researched based facts:

-Gut bacteria control the intake of our food! (Yes, you read that right!).

– Obese people showed a 20-40% reduction in diversity of gut bacteria in comparison to those with a healthy weight.

– Your most common gut probiotics are lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. How do these 2 strains related to your satiety and hunger hormones?

Lets simplify things:

Leptin hormone – ‘makes you thin’. This is your satiety hormone.

Gherlin hormone- ‘makes you hungry’, you tend to eat more when its elevated.

in a study, those who had low levels of Bifidobacterium & Lactobacillus strains of probiotics, showed high levels of gherlin which would increase their hunger levels.

Alternatively, leptin is positively correlated with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Meaning those who have sufficient amounts of these 2 strains showed to have a more balanced hunger response.

Bonus: A specific study that was done with a specific probiotic strain showed to decrease in organ weight, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) , triglycerides, blood sugars and ghrelin! It also showed to improve insulin resistance (better for our blood sugar balance).

Overall, Studies have shown than manipulation of gut bacteria would decrease treatment cost of obesity, and reduce the harm and invasive interventions that are done for obesity patients, such as a bariatric surgery. Obesity has been associated and linked with overall gut inflammation which can result in further imbalance of gut bacteria (dysbiosis), affecting integrity of the gut lining.

Gut inflammation = Dysbiosis = Obesity

Dysbiosis can be affected by lifestyle factors such as stress, poor diet, poor sleep, inflammation, antibiotic use, birth control usage, nutrition deficiencies. Dysbiosis can be present as SIBO, candida overgrowth etc. Its important you get the right diagnosis, which can be done through testing and a thorough history with your Naturopathic Doctor.

Do you need probiotics? how do you know which strains doe you need?

You need a naturopathic doctor or a licensed health practitioner!

Lets work together – I offer a stool analysis testing which tells the composition of your different gut bacteria. This also shows bacteria that are opportunistic (present and may cause symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, constipation or discomfort). A comprehensive version shows parasites as well as candida growth AND tests for conventional treatment sensitivity as well as natural treatment sensitivity.

Have any questions? Lets chat!

Free 15 minute consult

References:

PMID: 30678355

PMID: 30388851

The golden question – ‘Why haven’t I lost weight? I am barely eating and exercising lots!’ The answer is more complex than just diet and exercise, as there are SO MANY factors that influence weight loss. Let’s dive into some of the factors that play a role in our metabolism!

Insulin resistance

Insulin is a hormone released in response to your blood sugar levels.
This hormone signals the cells to take in the sugars for energy. However,
when the cell resists the signal coming from insulin, the cells remain energy deprived and the insulin will keep circulating. Insulin will then take part of transforming the excess sugars into fat. But, how about we go back for a second, because the cells still didn’t receive the adequate amount of energy due to insulin resistance… So the hunger and fatigue is there!
On the other side, as the cells aren’t getting enough glucose, it signals the body to produce more insulin. Over the years, if this isn’t controlled, your pancreas may get tired and eventually will lead to diabetes and needing more insulin. This further increases the risk of a cardiovascular disease, liver disease and many other complications.

Now you may be wondering: what actually causes insulin resistance? its a complex answer! It is usually accompanied by excess weight, sleep deprivation, stress, adrenal fatigue, ‘bad’ diet, hormonal misbalance etc.

Lets take for example Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, known as PCOS – Ladies, this is for you!

High insulin levels affect the ovaries to produce high amounts of androgens (testosterone hormone). This will lead to eventual progesterone decrease / suppression of production. High androgen levels are associated with hair growth on the face and body, mood changes etc. PCOS causes cysts on the ovaries which will lead to painful periods and it is a big factor in infertility! Nowadays, it is no secret that PCOS should be treated by improving insulin sensitivity.

Gentleman, this one if for you! The link between insulin resistance and testosterone:
Boosting testosterone naturally has been found to improve insulin sensitivity in a few studies. “testosterone is involved in promoting glucose utilization by stimulating glucose uptake, glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Testosterone is also involved in lipid homeostasis in major insulin-responsive target tissues, such as liver, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle.” (2)

Stress is a big factor in insulin resistance as multiple trials found positive correlation between high cortisol and high insulin secretion leading to insulin resistance. Stress influences our food quality and choices, lowering our growth hormone, thyroid hormone and sex hormones, increasing inflammation, while reducing immunity. The adrenal glands take a hit after many years of stress, leading to adrenal fatigue.

How’s sleep affecting your weight loss journey?

-More than 35% of US population is seep deprived which is the same statistics for obesity rates. (CDC)
-A study that was published in the Annals of internal medicine investigated the link between sleep and weight loss; When participants received adequate rest, half of the weight loss was from fat. However, participants who cut back on sleep, the amount of fat lost was cut in half than those with a good amount of sleep. Dieters with sleep deprivation experienced a 55% reduction in fat loss compared to those who were well-rested

Now, lets get to the root cause of diminished sleep quality? stress! (remember high cortisol and insulin resistance?) Its important to optimize your quality of sleep. While stress isn’t the only cause of poor sleep quality, it`s the most common one.

This is an example of a hormonal pathway that Dr. Tali Troyansky works with in order to figure out your hormonal levels. This helps with fertility treatments, weight loss, acne, mood swing, PMS, irregular periods, painful periods, etc.

If you have diabetes / weight loss concerns, or would like to book a free consultation to discuss how Naturopathic Medicine can help you improve your metabolism, lose weight, and maintain your weight loss please feel free to contact us.