Could This Supplement Save You from Gastric Bypass Surgery?

What do heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity all have in common?

High blood pressure, insulin resistance, and obesity are all related to a disorder called metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a collection of health conditions that often characterize both cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Some studies estimate that roughly 25% of the U.S. population is affected by metabolic syndrome. (1)

One treatment that is gaining popularity among this group is gastric bypass surgery, also called a roux-en-Y.

It has been found not only effective for obesity, but it also helps to manage the development of diabetes and hypertension. If body weight is moderate but type II diabetes persists, gastric bypass surgery is often used to keep diabetes in check.

In fact, gastric bypass surgery is the only medical treatment for obesity that consistently achieves and sustains significant weight loss. (2)

One mechanism behind the success of gastric bypass surgery is the fact that it radically changes the landscape of the gastrointestinal tract. And with this, gut bacteria also change.

Why Gastric Bypass Surgery Alters Gut Bacteria

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) involves creating a small pouch from the bottom of the stomach. The piece of stomach is then attached to the far end of the small intestine. 

Research has concluded that this shift of inner ecology is at least partially responsible for both dramatic weight loss and the reversal of type II diabetes. (3)(4)

So far, we know that gut bacteria contribute to obesity, diabetes, and other aspects of metabolic syndrome. The two most widely accepted mechanisms include:

1. Gut bacteria can harvest a lot or a little energy from food. This will affect how much weight we put on. (5)(6)
2. Gut bacteria can either contribute to or decrease inflammation in the intestines, as well as inflammation throughout the entire body. This has been shown to have a direct relationship with obesity and insulin resistance. (7)(8)

Hormonal function within the gastrointestinal tract also changes. This, along with changes in the bacteria that populate the small and large intestines, are thought to contribute to the success of gastric bypass surgery. (9)

The same change may take years to accomplish with diet and lifestyle alone. (10)

Gastric Bypass Surgery and Prebiotics Have a Similar Effect on Gut Ecology

Of course, not everyone wants to go under the knife.

Another way to radically change the intestinal landscape and our inner ecology is with the use of pre-biotics.

Prebiotics are food for the good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

Unlike probiotics, prebiotics are not living. In fact, prebiotics are made from material that our bodies find impossible to digest. These are things like the sugars found in fruit and plant fibers.

Studies show that prebiotics have a positive effect on our inner ecology. Prebiotics encourage the growth and proliferation of beneficial microorganisms like lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. (11)

Not only that, but research also indicates that a certain type of prebiotic, called fructooligosaccharide (FOS), increases insulin secretion and can help to control sugar metabolism. (12) 

Researchers at the University of Zurich found that gastric bypass surgery encourages the growth of more good bacteria. (13)

Scientists conducting the study speculate that gut bacteria may change:

• How we absorb nutrients
• How we regulate blood sugar
• Low-grade inflammation that is associated with metabolic disease

The researchers also noted that the changes they saw in gut ecology after gastric bypass surgery were incredibly similar to those that happen when we simply eat prebiotics.

The lead author on this study, Melania Osto, concluded that, “Our findings show that RYGB [gastric bypass] surgery leads to changes in gut microbiota that resemble those seen after treatment with prebiotics.”

According to research, both surgery and prebiotics alter the balance of bacterial species and the way that these species act.

EcoBloom: The Body Ecology Prebiotic Superstar

The beneficial effects of gastric bypass surgery may not have to do with the surgery at all.

In fact, the dramatic shift in weight and the newfound ability to control blood sugar may have more to do with changes in gut bacteria that take place after the surgery.

This is similar to what could be achieved with the addition of a prebiotic to the diet.

EcoBloom is 100% natural powder chicory extract FrutaFit, Inulin (often called FOS). Remember, FOS is a prebiotic and may have a profound and positive effect on blood sugar metabolism.

4 Tips to Superpower Your Probiotics: 

1. Add EcoBloom to cultured foods. Cultured vegetables become more potent when EcoBloom is added to the mixture.
2. Sprinkle EcoBloom into salad dressings, sauces, and gravy. Besides nourishing the good guys in your gut, EcoBloom improves the texture and “mouthfeel” of condiments and drinks.
3. Mix 1-3 scoops of EcoBloom with kefir starter or cultured vegetable starter.
4. Mix EcoBloom with your probiotic beverage.

Your inner ecology will thank you!