People suffering from obesity have a BMI greater than 30, which is almost 40% of adults and continues to be on the rise, which means that the number of people being diagnosed with heart disease, cancer, and diabetes is also rising.

Putting an increased amount of weight on your joints may also negatively impact your body. Obesity in addition to inactivity, age, muscle weakness, and unhealthy posture can all contribute to the development of arthritis. Research also suggests that the pain and inflammation that come along with arthritis might also be related to inadequate gut health.

Heal Your Gut to Save Joint Health

People who are obese often suffer from arthritis and joint pain. Researchers have uncovered that inflammation in the body can be driven by the gut microbiome and can lead to pain associated with arthritis. This could be caused by an unhealthy diet, which will lead to imbalances in the gut microbiome.

Research has confirmed that people who are obese have more harmful gut bacteria than people who are a healthy weight, which has also been found in mice studies. Researchers found they could alter the microbiome of obese mice using a prebiotic supplement that reduced inflammation and reversed symptoms of arthritis.

The obese mice treated with the prebiotic ended up with a gut microbiome that was identical to that of a healthy mouse, leading the researchers to believe that prebiotics may be able to treat arthritis in obese people as well.

This prebiotic restores the gut health in obese mice by supporting healthy bacteria such as Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, which is associated with a reduction of inflammation in the colon, as well as blood circulation and joint protection that is needed with arthritis.

The researchers did not expect to find such a strong impact of obesity on one's gut microbiome, and therefore inflammation and arthritis were prevented when the mice took prebiotics. However, Bifidobacteria grew and replaced proinflammatory bacteria, which decreased inflammation and slowed the breakdown of cartilage.

However, the prebiotic did not change the body weight of the obese mice, meaning their joints continued to support the same amount of weight, but they did appear to be healthier. The researchers believe this is because inflammation rather than biomechanical forces trigger arthritis and joint degeneration.

Oligofructose

Oligofructose is the prebiotic that was used to affect the gut bacteria in the obese mice. This prebiotic is a form of inulin, which is a soluble fiber that is derived from plant material that is composed of fructose molecules connected in a way that the body is unable to digest them.

Prebiotics are required by many microorganisms located in the gut. They nourish beneficial bacteria, which supports digestive health because it converts inulin and oligofructose into fatty acids that feed healthy colon cells and give people a variety of health benefits.

Oligofructose stimulates the growth Bifidobacteria in the intestines, which is an important beneficial bacteria in your gut and is 30-50% as sweet as sucrose. People typically use oligofructose as a fiber supplement, but its most widely known nutritional effect is its ability to enhance the growth of Bifidobacteria in the gut. Studies have shown a dramatic positive impact on the composition of microflora when someone supplements between 5 and 20 grams oligofructose each day for 15 days.

Studies have also shown that osteoarthritis is not caused by age. Researchers analyzed joints of skeletons and combined this data with secondary data findings dating back to prehistoric times. The studies found that people born after World War II are double as likely to get knee arthritis at a certain age or BMI than people who were born earlier. However, the researchers could not account for the rise because not only are people living longer, but the rate of obesity is continuing to rise. Even after considering age and BMI, the researchers found an increase in the amount of people who suffered from arthritis.

Your gut bacteria plays a large role in the inflammation in your body, which can lead to pain and discomfort. Maintaining a healthy gut by eating healthy foods to reduce inflammation and help you maintain proper gut health provides natural pain relief.