The Gut Microbiome and Control of Weight Gain

Evidence from prospective studies testing the association between infant gut microbial composition and later childhood overweight is beginning to accumulate. Studies point to a critical role for Bacteroides spp. in weight control in early life. Gut lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, staphylococci, streptococci, enterobacteria, and Akkermansia may also be important for regulating growth in infants and young children. The effectiveness of breastfeeding as a dietary intervention depends on the stage of gut microbiota development and health status of the mother. Women with prepregnancy overweight have altered breast milk composition, and their infants show early, transient, and later changes to gut microbial community structure. Breast milk itself may interact with the host system of the infant to modify the effectiveness of administered probiotics. With the detection of microbes in the placenta and amniotic fluid, gut microbial development has been extended to the time of pregnancy and subject to influences, such as maternal overweight.