Scientists Just Discovered What Really Causes Belly Fat

The Gut Microbiome Connection

One of the most active and rapidly evolving areas of obesity research involves the gut microbiome — the community of trillions of microorganisms living in the digestive tract. Research published in leading medical journals has shown that the composition of the gut microbiome differs meaningfully between people with high levels of visceral fat (the dangerous fat around internal organs) and those without.




Certain bacterial populations appear to influence how efficiently calories are extracted from food, how fat is stored, and how metabolic hormones are regulated. Importantly, microbiome composition is modifiable through diet.