As obesity progresses, it leads to diabetes. It is said that there are 425 million diabetic patients in the world. Recent theories have focused on chronic inflammation, which worsens due to obesity. In Europe and the United States, this chronic inflammation is called a silent killer. As a result of inflammation due to obesity, inflammatory cytokines are produced and act on other cells. When inflammatory cytokines are released into obese fat tissue, they reduce the effectiveness of insulin on cells. A decrease in the effectiveness of insulin means higher blood sugar levels. Inflammation due to obesity induces insulin resistance, which increases blood sugar levels and triggers diabetes.
Recent findings have shown that the intestinal flora of obese people has a reduced ability to produce short-chain fatty acids. These short-chain fatty acids are organic acids such as butyric acid, propionic acid, and acetic acid produced by intestinal bacteria. Short-chain fatty acids have the power to stimulate intestinal cells to secrete incretin hormones. Incretin has the effect of promoting insulin secretion by acting on the pancreas. This effect regulates blood sugar and leads to the prevention of diabetes. Fat cells have sensors that detect short-chain fatty acids. When the fat cell sensor detects short-chain fatty acids, the cells stop taking in nutrients. The sympathetic nerve also has sensors that react to short-chain fatty acids. When the sympathetic nerve detects short-chain fatty acids, the metabolism of the entire body is activated. Short-chain fatty acids work to prevent obesity by both suppressing fat accumulation and increasing fat consumption.
These reliable short-chain fatty acids are produced by intestinal bacteria such as Bacteroides breaking down food. Bacteroides and other bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids live by feeding on dietary fiber. Foods that these bacteria prefer are seaweed, mushrooms, vegetables, beans, konjac, millet, and brown rice. Bacteroides bacteria originally work to protect us from obesity. It was the Gordon group that proved this. The Gordon group conducted a one-year dietary experiment on 12 obese people. They found that eating more vegetables can change the obese flora to lean flora. To prevent obesity, it seems that eating more vegetables, exercising, and getting enough sleep are the best ways to prevent obesity.