With the arrival of good weather, we all really want to feel comfortable in our bodies so we can do whatever we want this summer. This obviously requires a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, a good night’s sleep, and regular physical activity.

Another essential variable for optimal and sustainable weight loss can be found inside the body. This is the gut microbiota. Recent studies have demonstrated the essential role of the microbiota in the overall balance of the body and, in particular, for weight loss.

In this article, discover what the microbiota is, how it works, and how to take care of it to feel good in your body.

One-third of the intestinal microbiota comprises common strains that are the same for everyone, and two-thirds are specific to each body. The microbiota is unique because it depends on many factors, such as heredity, eating habits, geography, or age.

Healthy microbiota is essential for efficient digestion but also to strengthen immunity and help maintain a stable, healthy weight.

In life, everything is a question of balance. This is also true for the microbiota. The intestinal flora is sensitive to imbalances caused by a poor lifestyle, too little sleep, stress, or even taking medications that can disrupt the so-called “second brain”.

This imbalance of the microbiota is called dysbiosis. This can have negative and quickly visible consequences on health: fatigue, digestive disorders with alternating episodes of constipation and diarrhoea, increased allergic sensitivity, rapid weight gain, or even the development of diabetes. This is why taking care of your microbiota and maintaining this balance, which is so beneficial to the body, is essential.

Recent studies have demonstrated the link between healthy and balanced microbiota and a stable and acceptable weight. Accordingly, rebalancing the intestinal flora is more than beneficial if you want to lose weight. This is especially true if you have slow and difficult digestion, recurring episodes of constipation, or insatiable hunger.

Before embarking on a weight-loss program, ask the right questions about this key success factor. Here are three reasons why you should rebalance your microbiota before losing weight:

1. Healthy microbiota produces a protein similar to melanotropin, an appetite-suppressant hormone. This helps to regulate the appetite.

2. Healthy microbiota has large numbers of bifidobacteria, probiotics that boost your metabolism and promote energy expenditure. Conversely, there are few bifidobacteria in the intestinal flora of people who are overweight.

3. Probiotics promote good digestion, which is essential for successful weight loss and, beyond that, for overall good health. People with intestinal flora low in probiotics often have slowed digestion, which in the long term means the increased storage of ingested fats and sugars.

If you believe in the benefits of healthy microbiota for good health and maintaining a healthy weight, opt for foods rich in probiotics and prebiotics, a type of fibre that nourishes probiotics so they can multiply naturally.

Therefore, it is especially recommended that you consume dairy and fermented products to fill up on probiotics and fruits and vegetables rich in fibre. The problem? Modern, industrial food is neither rich in fibre nor in probiotics. If you do not want to consume more than one dairy product per day and do not consume five portions of fruits and vegetables per day, you should take a probiotic and prebiotic supplement.

If you are already experiencing some signs of microbiota disruption (digestive disorders, stomach aches, slowed or accelerated digestion, etc.), follow a probiotic programme to quickly and effectively recolonise the intestinal flora with good bacteria and put an end to this very unpleasant episode.

Lactobacillus gasseri is a strain in the Lactobacilli family that restores and maintains the balance of the intestinal flora, strengthens the immune system, and facilitates digestion. This microbiotic strain is highly recommended for weight loss, combined with other natural active ingredients, such as green tea and guarana, with recognised fat-burning effects or nopal and Ascophyllum, which capture fats and sugars and reduce their absorption by the body.

Ideally, you will take a complete natural health product with one dose in the morning focused on burning fat during the active phase of the day and one dose before bedtime focused on restoring the flora during sleep.