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Obesity and mental health improvement following nutritional education focusing on gut microbiota composition in Japanese women: a randomised controlled trial

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Abstract

Purpose

Gut microbiota composition was supposedly related to obesity and psychological factors. We examined the effects of a nutritional education intervention focusing on gut microbiota composition on obesity and psychological factors among obese women.

Methods

Forty-four obese Japanese women aged 40 or older were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 22) or control group (n = 22). The intervention consisted of a 20-min dietary lecture and a 10-min counselling session by registered dieticians, every 2 weeks for eight consecutive weeks. Body weight, height, waist circumference, food frequency, and gut microbiota composition were measured, and self-rated health and psychological factors were scored before and after the intervention.

Results

All participants completed the 8 week program. After the intervention, dietary fibre intake (p < 0.01), frequency of vegetable consumption (p = 0.020), and frequency of milk and milk product consumption (p < 0.01) increased significantly in the intervention group compared with the control group. Body weight and body mass index (BMI; p < 0.001), waist circumference (p < 0.01), and the depression scale score (p < 0.01) decreased significantly, while significant improvements were found in self-rated health (p = 0.045) and microbiome diversity (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Nutritional education focusing on gut microbiota composition may improve obesity and psychological factors in obese women.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express their sincere appreciation to the participants. This study was supported by grants from THE SKYLARK FOOD SCIENCE INSTITUTE and the Fostering Research Fund at Fukushima Medical University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Health Systems, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan

    Mayu Uemura, Yoshihisa Hirakawa, Chifa Chiang & Atsuko Aoyama

  2. Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan

    Mayu Uemura, Fumikazu Hayashi & Tetsuya Ohira

  3. Radiation Medical Science Centre for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan

    Fumikazu Hayashi, Kanako Okazaki & Tetsuya Ohira

  4. Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan

    Ken Ishioka & Tatsuo Suzutani

  5. Nagoya University Centre for Gene Research, Nagoya, Japan

    Kunio Ihara

  6. Tosei General Hospital, Seto, Aichi, Japan

    Kazushi Yasuda

  7. Preparing Section for New Faculty of Medical Science/Anatomy, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan

    Junichi Omata

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  1. Mayu Uemura
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Correspondence to Mayu Uemura.

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Uemura, M., Hayashi, F., Ishioka, K. et al. Obesity and mental health improvement following nutritional education focusing on gut microbiota composition in Japanese women: a randomised controlled trial. Eur J Nutr 58, 3291–3302 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-018-1873-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-018-1873-0

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