For years, would-be slimmers have been stumped why they rapidly put on weight after a successful diet.
Now scientists believe that this 'yo-yo effect' may be caused by bacteria in our guts. While our body loses weight, the microbes living inside us used to a fatty diet remain for many months. And when they come across fatty foods again, they go into overdrive, making us pile on the pounds at an accelerated rate.
While this effect may once have been helpful – perhaps making us store extra fat after a time of famine – nowadays it is harmful.
Researchers believe the 'bad' gut bacteria cause a fluctuating weight by destroying natural compounds found in our food that encourage us to burn fat.
Instead we pile it up in our spare tyres.
This effect could be reversed, scientists believe, by taking a drink containing high levels of the substances which our found naturally in fruit and vegetables.
These compounds – flavonoids - encourage our cells to 'burn' fat rather than storing it. Although the research was in mice, scientists believe a similar mechanism may work in humans.
Source - Daily Mail