Ex-smoker intestinal flora produces weight gain

Anyone who quits smoking gets a few extra pounds on the ribs

07/10/2013

According to the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum Heidelberg (DKFZ), smokers weigh on average 3.5 kilos less than non-smokers. In other words, people who have just given up smoking have to expect an average weight gain of about 4.5 kilos. Especially in the beginning, the body reacts with a decent weight gain. In women, this effect is more pronounced than in men. Weight gain tends to be underestimated, some researchers say. But you do not have to worry about that, because it is not a rapid facial increase.

More weight with less calories
Why it comes to this weight gain is not fully understood. One assumption is that ex-smokers would increasingly rely on sweets as a substitute and the portions that they consume grow enormously. Another argument is that nicotine greatly lowers appetite. These assumptions are widespread and certainly not to be dismissed. But it has now been found that ex-smokers bring even more pounds on the scales, even though they are less calories to eat than before. As a result, smoking leads to an increased metabolism. „After all, smokers have a higher energy consumption than non-smokers“, says the nutritionist Ursel Wahrburg of Münster University of Applied Sciences. „They burn 200 to 250 calories more per day“.

Adrenaline responsible for reduced weight
It looks like smokers are producing more adrenaline. The so-called sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the production of the stress hormone, seems to work more intensively. It is also believed that more energy is needed for digestion and absorption of nutrients.

New insights thanks to research
Now the physician Gerhard Rogler and his colleagues from the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology of the University Hospital Zurich have found out that nicotine withdrawal has enormous effects on the intestinal flora. You have noticed that certain bacterial strains proliferate, whereas others deteriorate to the same extent.

For the investigations, Rogler and his team analyzed stool samples for nine weeks. It was based on samples from five non-smokers, five smokers and ten people who stopped smoking one week before the study started. The main difference was that the intestinal flora of non-smokers and that of smokers remained unchanged within the nine weeks.

The subjects who had just quit smoking, however, showed a change in the bacterial strains Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. These displaced again microbes of the strains Firmicutes and Actinobacteria.

As a result, this means that bacteria are prevalent, which are also found in obese people in the intestinal flora. „These bacteria can better digest the food and lead the body more calories, which then manifests itself in fat pads“, so Rogler. Whether and how long these changes in the intestinal flora last, the scientists could not yet find out. „I assume that we can succeed over the long term, to influence the intestinal flora favorable to limit the weight gain. However, I do not believe that such a probiotic will be available at short notice. But the processes in the intestinal flora are far too complex.“, explains the researcher.

So what can you do to avoid putting too much weight on it? Eating fruits and vegetables, says nutrition expert Wahrburg. „Eating things that you can eat a lot, so fruits and vegetables. They ensure a well-filled stomach. Because the stomach stretch is our most important saturation feature. Therefore, drinking water also helps. One has something in the mouth and later in the stomach, which reduces the feeling of hunger.“ (Fr)

Image: Oli Müller