New research shows the connection between gaining weight and quitting smoking and suggests that weight gain after quitting smoking depends on the gut microbiome. Cigarette smoking is considered a leading cause of various diseases and causes over 6 million deaths worldwide every year. However, many people rarely stop because they don't want to gain weight afterwards. Now the authors of a new study using mouse models found that obesityAttempting to quit smokingdue to intestinal microbes.
How weight gain begins in the intestines after quitting smoking
The exact cause of gaining weight after quitting smoking was not yet clear. The new study results exemplify how the host and microbiome act as partners in regulating weight and metabolism. The compounds identified by the research team could lead to new treatments to help people avoid weight gain when they quit smoking. In addition, these findings could pave the way for future anti-obesity therapies in non-smokers. The researchers found that mice regularly exposed to cigarette smoke did not gain weight despite a diet high in fat and sugar. When smoke exposure stopped, the animals quickly gained weight, as is often the case with humans. However, when the scientists gave the lab mice broad-spectrum antibiotics, weight gain stopped after quitting smoking, with the animals remaining slim for months.
Apparently, smoking-related compounds such as nicotine from the bloodstream entered the intestines of “smoking” mice. In doing so, they changed the bacterial composition of the intestinal flora and consequently the body's metabolism. The study authors also identified two small molecules that they link to the metabolic consequences of smoking cessation. Finally, the researchers evaluated the microbiomes of 96 smokers and non-smokers. They found significant changes in the microbiome of smokers as well as changes in microbial metabolites. However, further studies need to investigate whether these lead to weight gain after quitting smoking due to the microbiome influenced by smoking. TheResults of this research workshed new light on how the microbiome interacts with the human body in regulating weight and metabolism, in ways that can be used therapeutically.
