Israeli scientists discover link between obesity and smoking cessation

 

In a new study published in the journal Nature, WIS researchers have found that obesity developing after quitting smoking may be driven by the weight-modulating compounds released by gut microbes.

 

The compounds identified by the researchers may lead to new treatments that will help people avoid weight gain when quitting smoking, WIS said.

 

Moreover, these compounds may be further developed into therapies to fight obesity even among nonsmokers, it added.

 

The team found that mice that were regularly exposed to cigarette smoke failed to gain weight, despite consuming a diet high in fat and sugar.

 

Evidently, smoking-related compounds such as nicotine penetrated the gut of "smoking" mice from the bloodstream, thereby altering the gut's bacterial composition and, consequently, the body's metabolism.

 

When the smoke exposure stopped, the mice rapidly gained weight, as often happens to humans who quit smoking.

 

When the mice were given broad-spectrum antibiotics that depleted their microbiome, they gained much less weight after undergoing "smoking cessation," staying slim for months regardless of their diet.

 

The researchers identified two small molecules, among thousands of potentially bioactive metabolites generated or altered by the microbiome, that might explain the metabolic consequences of smoking cessation.